The Italian fashion house is building on wholesale growth, with the Gulf leading plans for standalone stores alongside retail partners.
Dolce & Gabbana is putting the Middle East at the centre of its beauty expansion, as the Italian fashion house targets a global network of up to 70 standalone boutiques following annual wholesale revenues of more than €1bn.
The region is among five priority markets identified by beauty Chief Executive Gianluca Toniolo, alongside India, Brazil, Mexico and the US. The division aims to reach between 50 and 70 boutiques worldwide over the next three years.
The regional ambitions build on an earlier Gulf strategy. Late last year, Toniolo outlined plans for up to 20 standalone beauty boutiques across the Gulf over three years, with the UAE and Saudi Arabia leading growth. He also cited openings in Qatar, Kuwait and Bahrain.
Its existing Dubai Mall beauty boutique offers a glimpse of its new format. Located in the Fashion Avenue Extension, the store sells makeup and perfumes, with fragrance consultations, makeup sessions and bookable beauty appointments, according to the brand’s official directory.
The company describes dedicated consultation areas and a black-and-gold interior designed to bring its beauty collections together in one location.
Rather than relying entirely on counters inside other retailers, the boutique gives the label a space of its own to present products and provide personal advice.
For shoppers, that means an opportunity to explore different categories during the same visit. For the brand, it creates direct contact with customers alongside its wholesale distribution.
The expansion follows a period of rapid growth since Dolce & Gabbana brought beauty operations in-house in 2022, moving away from its previous licensing model.
