Karoline Vitto, the Brazilian designer behind Unique Vi, is the latest couturier to receive support from Dolce & Gabbana’s Fashion East incubator program. Karoline Vitto’s sexy, body-conscious designs celebrate the curves and folds of authentic female beauty.
What Is the Brand About?
Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana parlayed their dreamy Mediterranean aesthetic into a billion-dollar global luxury brand. Born into a small clothing family business in Polizzi Generosa, Sicily, the duo launched their designer consulting studio in 1982. It later opened Dolce & Gabbana, debuting at Milan Fashion Week in 1985. They believe the past paves the way for the future, and their use of old gold (a hue symbolic of wealth in ancient cultures) as part of their logo is no accident. The label’s muses evoke timeless beauty and femininity in their form-fitting dresses and skirts. The brand also embraces new trends by collaborating with electronic conglomerates to create luxury cell phones that display Dolce & Gabbana’s trademark colors of black and gold. Dolce & Gabbana has even launched a beauty line.
The Collections
In an industry that can sometimes fall short of inclusivity, established fashion houses like Dolce & Gabbana have been actively involved in championing diverse models. And for the SS24 season, Brazilian designer Karoline Vitto will be the latest to receive their support with the brand’s “Supported by Dolce&Gabbana” program. The initiative provides financial, logistical, and PR support to aspiring designers so they can focus solely on their collections. Vitto’s designs celebrate curve women, putting their shapes and creases front and center. Her empathetic approach to the female form and her commitment to celebrating self-confidence and responsible use of materials have caught Dolce&Gabbana’s attention. The label will allow Vitto to showcase her collection during Milan Fashion Week in September, following in the footsteps of fellow designers Miss Sohee, Matty Bovan, and Tomo Koizumi, who have also benefited from this initiative.
The Designer
The Italian luxury brand’s recent collaboration with Brazilian designer Karoline Vitto is interesting. The designer, an alumnus of Central Saint Martins, launched her label in 2020 and presented her first fashion week collection last September as part of the British Fashion East incubator. A size-inclusive label, Vitto’s designs celebrate the body and curves of authentic female beauty. Rolls, squishes, and creases are accentuated rather than hidden with jersey garments that flex and twist to highlight them (think the curve of a back roll or the swoop of an armpit). While many designers might view bodies as passive objects from which they hang their clothes, Vitto sees them as dynamic subjects. With models like Precious Lee, Paloma Elsesser, and fellow Dazed100er Jojo Todynho wearing her designs on and off the runway, it’s clear that Vitto knows how to find that rare sweet spot between the conceptual and commercial. With sculptural yet wearable pieces, her designs are sure to be a hit.
The Collaborative Process
A key determinant of a functional collaborative process is agreement about how collaborators distribute project-related information. This can be challenging, especially if different collaborators hold contrasting philosophical assumptions and analytic approaches that may lead to disagreement. Karoline Vitto is a size-inclusive designer who showcased her first collection at London Fashion Week and is known for her refined aesthetics and attention to detail. She is also passionate about sustainability, sourcing her materials ethically, and using archived fabrics when possible. Various sources inspire her designs, including Brazilian culture, art, and nature. Moreover, she prides herself on empowering women through her designs and celebrating authentic femininity. These values align with the DNA of Dolce & Gabbana.
The Collaboration’s Impact
Karoline Vitto has been supported by Dolce & Gabbana, giving her the platform to showcase her innovative designs at Milan Fashion Week. Dolce & Gabbana has a long history of supporting rising talent, including influencers and designers. This collaboration further demonstrates the luxury brand’s commitment to celebrating and encouraging diversity in the fashion industry. Vitto’s work is provocative and empowering. Her pieces spotlight the fat rolls and fleshy bulges women are conditioned to hide as features worthy of celebration and adoration. Her inclusionary approach, the study of form, and the celebration of self-confidence all find common ground with Dolce & Gabbana’s DNA, explains the label in a press release. Dolce & Gabbana is well known for its seductive style, blending European tradition with Asiatic influences in elaborate animal prints, pinstripes, detailed embroidery, and black lace. The label has also branched into fragrance, accessories, beachwear, and lingerie.
The Collaborative Results
A collaborative team often produces work that one person could not produce alone. It results from the diverse skill sets and experience of a group working together, sharing and expanding ideas, and solving problems with new perspectives. For example, a design team might bring a photographer to help with a project, or the technology department might regularly convene with the marketing team to plug away quarterly goals. This sort of collaboration democratizes information and workflow, breaks down walls between departments, and tightens connections that will serve each team in the future. Similarly, Karoline Vitto puts her clients’ bodies at the center of their designs. She respects the curves and folds of women’s bodies and emphasizes inclusivity in her work. Her values align with those of Dolce & Gabbana.
