Domenico Mario Assunto Dolce (Italian: ; born 13 August 1958) is an Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur. Along with Stefano Gabbana, he is one half of the luxury fashion house Dolce & Gabbana (D&G). Since founding D&G in 1985, Dolce has become one of the world's most influential fashion designers and an industry icon.
Dolce was born in Polizzi Generosa, Sicily, in 1958. His father was a tailor and his mother sold fabrics and apparel. He moved to Milan to attend the fashion design school Istituto Marangoni, but he dropped out before graduating, confident he knew enough to work in the industry. His dream was to work for Armani.
In 1980, Dolce met Milan native Stefano Gabbana through Dolce's employer, designer Giorgio Correggiari. In 1983, Gabbana and Dolce left Correggiari to work on their own; two years later, they launched Dolce & Gabbana S.p.A. (D&G).