DOMENICO DOLCE and Stefano Gabbana have responded to Elton John's calls for fans to boycott their brand. The British singer took exception to comments that the duo made about children born into a non-traditional family, calling the designers "out of step with the times".
"We firmly believe in democracy and the fundamental principle of freedom of expression that upholds it," Gabbana said in a statement. "We talked about our way of seeing reality, but it was never our intention to judge other people's choices. We do believe in freedom and love."
"I'm Sicilian and I grew up in a traditional family made up of a mother, a father and children," Dolce explained. "I am very well aware of the fact that there are other types of families and they are as legitimate as the one I've known. But in my personal experience, family had a different configuration. That is the place where I learnt the values of love and family. This is the reality in which I grew up, but it does not imply that I don't understand different ones. I was talking about my personal view, without judging other people's choices and decisions."
The initial comments that sparked John's ire were taken from Italian magazine Panorama, in which Dolce revealed that he felt he could not have children because he was gay.
"You are born to a mother and a father. Or at least that's how it should be," Dolce said. "I call children of chemistry 'synthetic children'. Rented wombs, semen chosen from a catalogue... psychiatrists are not ready to confront the effects of this experimentation."
John - who is a father to two sons, Zachary, four, and Elijah, one, with husband David Furnish - called the comments "archaic" and "deeply insulting".
"How dare you refer to my beautiful children as 'synthetic'," John said on Instagram. "And shame on you for wagging your judgemental little fingers at IVF - a miracle that has allowed legions of loving people, both straight and gay, to fulfil their dream of having children. Your archaic thinking is out of step with the times, just like your fashions. I shall never wear Dolce & Gabbana ever again. #BoycottDolceGabbana."
Victoria Beckham added her voice to the debate this morning, tweeting: "Sending love to Elton, David, Zachary, Elijah and all the beautiful IVF babies." Balmain creative director Olivier Rousteing, meanwhile, told us that he was "shocked" by the comments, saying: "I've met Domenico and he is someone so nice, who has been so supportive, that I almost can't believe that they said that."
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Dolce & Gabbana's latest collection - entitled "Viva La Mamma" and featuring drawings by the children of the label's team - is created as a celebration of the family, and featured pregnant model Bianca Balti, and other models with their own children, on the catwalk. Same-sex marriage and adoption has not yet been legalised in Italy, where the designers are based.
