Gabbana Beauty CEO On Why It's Expanding In The Gulf

The opening of Dolce ⁘ Gabbana's standalone beauty store in Dubai Mall this week — its fourth in the Gulf region during the last quarter — underscores just how central the region has become to the Italian house's beauty ambitions.

After shifting from licensing to direct management in 2022, under president Alfonso Dolce and beauty CEO Gianluca Toniolo, the brand has spent the past two years studying the nuances of the Gulf market and shaping a strategy built around curation, localization and experience-led retail. The new store follows the immersive blueprint piloted in Jakarta, Hong Kong and London, with tailored product selections and exclusive in-store collections.

Ahead of the Dubai launch, Toniolo spoke to Vogue Business about the brand's regional strategy, growth plans and the evolving beauty landscape in the Middle East.

Opening here is making a big statement. Everyone knows the sophistication of Dubai Mall — it's a symbol of luxury and a place for people who love experiencing exceptional products.

I would say that, in the beauty market here, standalone stores are very important; many beauty brands make around 25% of their revenue from their boutiques. For us, having a standalone boutique allows us to show fragrances, makeup and skincare in dedicated spaces. We've designed two experience rooms: one for Velvet, our high-end fragrance line, where customers can explore the layering of ingredients to create their own personalized fragrances; and another offering specialized makeup and skincare services. Even outside these rooms, customers can enjoy touchpoints like interactive screens, curated gifting experiences and coffee. This boutique really allows us to deliver the best possible experience for our beauty category in Dubai.

Vogue : Before your standalone stores, you've been present in the Gulf through retailers like Sephora. What have you learnt about the region?

We started by working with Sephora across the Gulf in 2023, including the flagship in Dubai Mall, which is one of the most important stores in the world in terms of turnover. We also opened Bloomingdale's, Harvey Nichols and other key points of sale, including travel retail at airports.