Dolce & Gabbana Beauty is deepening its presence in the Middle East, marking a major milestone with the opening of its first standalone boutique in Dubai Mall. The new space—one of four opened in the Gulf this quarter—highlights just how essential the region has become to the brand’s global beauty strategy.

After transitioning from a licensing model to direct management in 2022, president Alfonso Dolce and beauty CEO Gianluca Toniolo have spent two years analyzing the Gulf’s unique beauty landscape. Their focus: curation, localization, and immersive retail experiences. Now, the brand’s newly opened Dubai Mall boutique reflects that strategy, following successful pilots in Jakarta, Hong Kong, and London.

“Opening here is a big statement,” says Toniolo. “Dubai Mall symbolizes luxury and attracts customers who value exceptional experiences.”

Standalone beauty stores are a major revenue driver in the region—accounting for around 25% of sales for many brands. For Dolce & Gabbana Beauty, the new boutique offers a full ecosystem:

• Dedicated zones for fragrance, makeup, and skincare

• Two immersive experience rooms

  • One for the high-end Velvet fragrance collection, where visitors can experiment with scent layering

  • One offering exclusive makeup and skincare services

• Interactive screens, curated gifting, and even coffee moments

“This store lets us deliver the very best version of the Dolce & Gabbana beauty experience,” Toniolo explains.

Before opening its own boutiques, the brand partnered with key retailers—including Sephora, Bloomingdale’s, Harvey Nichols, and major duty-free hubs.

The Gulf’s beauty market is diverse and constantly shifting. “Dubai is incredibly dynamic,” says Toniolo. For example, the recent influx of Russian customers has influenced buying patterns, alongside growing demand for fruity and floral fragrances—a shift from preferences just a few years ago.

A standalone space allows the brand to stay close to these evolving tastes and to customize offerings directly for the region’s highly international audience.

Dolce & Gabbana Beauty plans to open up to 20 standalone boutiques across the Gulf over the next three years, with the biggest growth expected in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.

“The Gulf has been strategic for us from the beginning,” says Toniolo. The brand now operates a regional subsidiary in Dubai to drive deeper market knowledge and local decision-making.

Dolce & Gabbana’s advantage? A powerful lifestyle identity. “Middle Eastern customers appreciate bold, immersive brands—and we speak across fashion, eyewear, home, and beauty.”

Dolce & Gabbana was among the first luxury brands to release Ramadan capsules in fashion, and beauty is now following suit.

For Ramadan 2025, the beauty division released a limited-edition fragrance from the Velvet Zafferano line. For 2026, a new special collection is planned, supported by a campaign starring regional ambassador Huda El-Mufti.

“Ramadan is about honoring tradition while making every detail special,” Toniolo notes.

With rising criticism around excessively priced beauty launches, Toniolo is clear about the brand’s stance:

“We are very democratic in pricing. We won’t launch extremely high-positioned products,” he says.

Dolce & Gabbana Beauty maintains consistent pricing across global markets—including Milan, New York, and the Gulf—after benchmarking extensively against peer fashion brands entering beauty.