/ 20 July 2013

Dolce and Gabbana shut Milan stores in ‘indignation’

A file image of Domenico Dolce
A file image of Domenico Dolce

The pair took out a full-page advert on Saturday in Italian dailies expressing frustration with "insults" aimed at them.

The last straw, they said, were remarks by a city official who said tax evaders should not be allowed to use prominent city spaces.

Dolce and Gabbana were found guilty last month of failing to declare €200-million through a Luxembourg company. They deny the charges and plan to appeal.

The duo's Dolce&Gabbana label got its start in Milan 30 years ago. Gabbana said on Twitter that they never asked to use city spaces.

The stores reopen on Monday.

On June 23 it was reported that a court in Milan ruled that the pair had sold their world-famous brands to a Luxembourg-based holding company in 2004 to avoid declaring tax on royalties. They were also slapped with a suspended fine of €500 000 owed to Italy's national tax agency.

The duo, who were not in court for the ruling at the time and made no immediate statement, have always denied any wrongdoing and their lawyers said they would appeal.

Under Italian law, a sentence of this kind is suspended until the conviction is made definitive. Given the length of the appeals process, it is unlikely Dolce or Gabbana will ever see the inside of a jail cell.

A separate charge of misrepresenting income had already passed the statue of limitations. – Sapa-AP; Additional reporting by Guardian News and Media 2013