Madonna and Dolce & Gabbana share one of fashion and pop culture’s most enduring creative relationships — a four-decade-long collaboration defined by provocation, devotion, and unmistakable Italian glamour. Now, that shared history has found a new expression in beauty, with Madonna officially named the face of Dolce & Gabbana’s iconic fragrance, The One.
Speaking exclusively to NY Times, Madonna described the partnership as deeply personal. “Domenico and Stefano are like brothers to me. We have such a long history together,” she said, reflecting on their early years. One of her most vivid memories dates back to shortly after the birth of her daughter Lourdes. “The first time I put on one of their dresses, my waist was snatched, my boobs were out, and I felt confident.” That feeling, she explained, perfectly captures what Dolce & Gabbana’s designs have always represented to her: unapologetic sensuality, confidence, and fearlessness.
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| Photo: Andreas Rentz / Getty Images |
While Madonna has long been synonymous with Dolce & Gabbana’s fashion identity — inspiring entire collections and starring in multiple campaigns — this marks the first time the trio has collaborated on a fragrance. For all involved, it felt inevitable. “The three of us are attracted to the idea of pushing boundaries and challenging social norms,” Madonna explained, a philosophy that has fueled decades of groundbreaking imagery, runway moments, and tour costumes.
Stefano Gabbana admits that even after all these years, the magic has not faded. “I get butterflies in my stomach when I see her,” he said. That sense of romance and admiration lies at the heart of The One, an intense amber and floral fragrance designed to feel both powerful and intimate. The scent joins Dolce & Gabbana’s celebrated fragrance lineup, a portfolio known for transporting wearers to a distinctly Italian state of mind. The house most recently reimagined its classic Light Blue scent, reaffirming its mastery of olfactory storytelling.
“Doing this campaign felt like a natural extension of our personal and professional relationship,” Madonna said. For Gabbana, the collaboration also carries emotional weight. He recalls his very first fashion show in 1984, when he was just 20 years old and Madonna was already an international force. At the time, she was touring Italy with her Blond Ambition tour. Gabbana and Domenico Dolce drove to Turin to see her perform, where she famously wore Jean Paul Gaultier’s cone bra.
“I said to Domenico, ‘Do you think one day this girl would wear something by us?’” Gabbana remembered. Months later, he saw Madonna splashed across a newspaper front page in Paris, wearing a Dolce & Gabbana mesh top and jersey skirt. “I collapsed,” he said. From that moment on, their connection deepened. Madonna later wore a crystal-embellished Dolce & Gabbana guêpière to the premiere of In Bed With Madonna, and the designers went on to create more than 1,500 costumes for her and her dancers during the 1993 Girlie Show tour. “People began to know Dolce & Gabbana because of Madonna,” Gabbana said.
The new The One campaign film, shot by photographer and director Mert Alas, pays tribute to Italian pop icon Patty Pravo. Madonna covers Pravo’s 1968 hit “La Bambola,” singing entirely in Italian. The song, which Madonna personally selected, tells the story of a woman fed up with being treated as disposable by a lover — a theme that mirrors Madonna’s lifelong artistic resistance to objectification.
The cinematic visuals place Madonna in a stormy Italian setting, reclining on a bed opposite actor Alberto Guerra. “She has the control,” Gabbana said. “She is a genius. A perfect face for the fragrance.”
Although Madonna has never been one to follow beauty trends — she has always set them — she says Italian women continue to inspire her. “I feel Italian women’s beauty comes through their confidence, independence, and effortless style,” she explained, qualities that resonate strongly with both her personal philosophy and Dolce & Gabbana’s brand DNA.
For Gabbana, the campaign is about more than selling a scent. “It’s so fun and sexy, and makes me want to know what everyone smells like,” he said. “Yes, it’s a fragrance, but this is a real part of the history of Dolce & Gabbana and Madonna.”
With The One, that shared history is distilled into a single bottle — a tribute to decades of collaboration, creative risk, and a bond that continues to shape fashion, beauty, and pop culture.
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