Scrap something old, something new, something borrowed and something blue. The dress code at Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker’s third wedding ceremony this weekend was Dolce, Dolce, Dolce!
Over the four-day affair in Italy, the Kardashian clan strutted around Portofino in an endless stream of extravagant Dolce & Gabbana ensembles (both archive and runaway). Most notably, the bride wore a one-of-a-kind Dolce & Gabbana Alta Moda lace and satin corset mini dress inspired by 1960s Italian lingerie while exchanging vows in the beautiful Villa Olivetta, complete with a dramatic veil that featured hand-embroidered depictions of the Virgin Mary and the words "family loyalty respect”.
But there were plenty of other viral D&G fashion moments. Billionaire beauty mogul Kylie Jenner was spotted in a sultry LBD with racing-stripe boots and a bag from the label’s spring 2001 collection. While billionaire Skims founder Kim Kardashian wore a strappy grey bra top and leggings by the label during a pre-wedding ice cream trip.
It wasn’t just clothing. Guests, which included actress Megan Fox, musician Machine Gun Kelly and basketballer Devin Booker, were ferried from their hotels to Portofino harbour on a fleet of four classic wooden Riva speedboats – each of which were furnished with Dolce & Gabbana accessories such as animal print cushions and towels. Once docked in the harbour, they were then taken to Dolce & Gabbana’s pop-up shop, “Galleria d’Arte”, which strategically opened five days ago on the market square piazza.
The brand’s founders, Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce, denied that they had agreed an exclusive sponsorship deal with the family. Instead, a spokesperson stated to the Daily Mail that they were simply “hosting this happy event.”
Of course, social media users weren’t buying it. “The devil works hard, Kris Jenner works harder, but the D&G PR team is working the hardest,” wrote one. Twitter user @almizzy_ commented: ‘Did Dolce Gabbana sponsor kourtneys wedding????????”.
It has sinc been reported that this was a “multi million-dollar deal” with the famous dynasty set “to give millions of pounds worth of publicity to the controversy-hit luxury fashion house”. Yes, the PDA-prone couple may have benefitted from the unlimited supply of high-end clothing (as well as a stay on the D&G founders’ $14.2 million superyacht Regina d’Italia and the use of their idyllic Villa Olivetta as an opulent wedding venue), but the world’s most famous family doesn’t come cheap.
As the family wrap up the D&G “hosted” celebrations and prepare for their fourth (yes, really) wedding ceremony, we go inside this weekend’s blow-out and dish out all la dolce vita details.
The Kardashians’ long-standing relationship with Dolce & Gabbana
This isn’t the first time Dolce & Gabbana have been linked with the Kardashians. In 2018 co-founder Stefano Gabbana commented “most cheap people” on a photo of Kris, Kendall, Kylie and Kim posted by Diet Prada.
Despite this, it appears the family have been long-time fans of the design duo, with Khloe Kardashian naming her late pet dog Gabbana, while Kylie Jenner once had a pet chihuahua called Dolce.
What’s more, in 2019 Kim Kardashian shared a photo of a selection of jackets that had been gifted to her by the designers to her Instagram stories, captioned: “So, I came home to these amazing, huge Dolce & Gabbana boxes.”
However, the post was met with outrage as followers pleaded with the reality TV star to take the photo down due to the controversies surrounding the label.
How Dolce & Gabbana became one of the most controversial brands in fashion
Dolce & Gabbana has weathered a string of scandals that led to them being called out by Elton John, Madonna and 10,000 people who signed an online petition calling for department stores to boycott the brand.
Its most notable controversies include the founders, Federico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana (both openly gay men), stating gay couples shouldn’t be allowed to adopt in 2015 as well as referring to babies bon via IVF as “synthetic”; a 2018 advert where a Chinese model clumsily spoke English and ate Italian food with chopsticks; and 2016’s “Slave Sandals” which they sold for $2,395.
Still, it appears all is fair in love and influence – with both parties swallowing their pride for an apparent “multi million-pound deal”.
“D&G has been making an effort to win celebrities and influencers back over following their controversy – creating custom looks for the likes of Cardi B and Doja Cat. A collaboration with the Kardashians is aligned with this push for renewed relevance,” says Biz Sherbet, culture specialist at the Digi Fairy creative agency. “Plus, the spectacular lavishness of the wedding serves to displace the spectacle of D&G’s blunder in public memory.” Sherbet also points to their NFT sale last October, where they set a $6 million record for fashion NFTs after auctioning a nine-piece virtual and physical collection as a nod to the brand’s strategic positioning as a pioneer in the world of digital luxury and culture.
As well as their new friendship with the Kardashians, the brand has also been worn by a host of other celebrities in recent weeks, including Gwen Stefani at the Grammys, Iman at the Met Gala and Sharon Stone at Cannes Film Festival. Whether it’s enough to course-correct the brand’s soured repuation is yet to be seen.
Inside the Kardashian-Jenner hype machine
The Kardashian-Jenners are some of the most followed people in the world. Kim Kardashian alone has 312 million followers, while younger sister Kylie Jenner has a whopping 340 million. Because of this, it is reported that the two charge up to $1 million per Instagram post.
“The Kardashian-Jenner family has a combined following of more than 1.2 billion across their social media channels, making hosting Kravis’ wedding an incredible opportunity for a brand like D&G to raise awareness among an audience that is interested in the Kardashian-Jenner’s luxury lifestyle and, thus, likely to be interested in D&G’s products,” explains Hester Bates, brand and communications director at influencer.com. “’Hosting’ a Kardashian wedding is an incredible way for a brand to forever tie themselves to one of the most famous families in the world and to truly take over social media, or ‘break the internet’ as Kim would say.”
Jenner has already uploaded eight photos of herself wearing Dolce & Gabbana at the wedding ceremony, with the Kylie Cosmestics founder tagging the brand in five of the posts. As for Kourtney, she has an impressive 178 million followers, with her highly publicised wedding to the Blink-182 drummer garnering a signifcant amount of social media hype. So far the hashtag #KourtneyKardashianWedding has 14million views on TikTok, with many lapping up the intimate, personal insight into their big day.
“Content generates engagement and engagement generates money, so the more elaborate, sacred or hyped the event, the better the payoff,” says Jane Macfarlane, art director at the Digi Fairy. “Any monumental event is an opportunity for sponsorship, and the Kardashians, in particular have always seen these occasions as an opportunity for profit, from Kardashian BFF Malika’s sponsored pregnancy announcement, to Kylie shrouding her pregnancies in secrecy only to reveal all to millions of monetised YouTube views. The Kardashians are talented at building so much hype, secrecy or controversy around their events that by the time we get access, the engagement is enormous and sponsorship totally earned.”
The most viral looks from the PR stunt
And now, for the moment D&G reportedly paid millions for: the best fashion moments from the extravagent four-day bash.
The best look from Kourtney was on Saturday evening, when she wore a sheer red gown from the brand’s 1998 collection. While Khloe’s fitted, cheetah print dress with a built in corset almost upstaged the bride.
Sisters Kylie and Kendall Jenner also stunned with their looks. At the ceremony, Kylie’s best look was in a 1998 vintage gown, which was hand-painted with flowers. The dress reportedly cost over $10,000 and was paired with Dolce & Gabbana sandals and earrings. Kendall also nailed her floral look, wearing a two-piece matching set from D&G’s 1997 Spring/Summer collection.
Momager Kris Jenner served mafia boss fashion, with a strangely fabulous faux-fur edged poncho dress with Dolce & Gabbana’s trademark leopard-print which she sported while walking around the harbour.
Honourable shout-outs go to Travis and Kourtney’s daughters - Penelope Disick, Alabama Barker and Atiana De La Hoya - who were bridesmaids at the wedding, all wearing grey Dolce & Gabbana dresses with red flowers and red shoes. Penelope’s hair was also dyed red for the occasion, matching her floral gown.
And of course, it wouldn’t be Kravis without some PDA...
The reception at Castello Brown included a performance by famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli — who sang “Can’t Help Falling In Love” for the newlyweds — an outfit change from Kravis (Kourt changed into a black lace-trimmed mini), and removal of Kourt’s garter via Travis’s... teeth. Kim shared videos of Bocelli singing, while Kylie shared a sneak peek of the smaller details of the wedding, including the heart-and-cross-themed place setting cards.
Weddings one, two and four
Travis popped the question to Kourtney in October 2021. The couple kept their wedding plans very hush-hush, but in April, the two (kind of) got married in Las Vegas hours after the 64th Annual Grammy Awards. It was established that an Elvis impersonator officiated the ceremony, but speculation swirled over whether or not the two had a marriage licence .
Two days later, Kourtney confirmed on Instagram that while she and Travis did exchange vows, the wedding was not official. “Found these in my camera roll. Once upon a time in a land far, far away (Las Vegas) at 2am, after an epic night and a little tequila, a queen and her handsome king ventured out to the only open chapel with an Elvis and got married (with no licence). Practice makes perfect,” she captioned her post.
On May 15, Kourtney and Travis made their union legally binding. With a wedding licence and the appropriate paperwork in hand, the two wed in a Santa Barbara courthouse. Only Kourtney’s grandmother, Mary Jo “MJ” Campbell, and Travis’s father, Randy, were in attendance, according to TMZ.
After tying the knot, the lovebirds drove off in a black convertible with a “Just Married” sign and a traditional string of cans affixed to the bumper. The Daily Mail reported that they ate at a restaurant in Montecito with just MJ. For the occasion, Kourtney wore a white bodice Dolce & Gabbana (of course) mini dress, short veil, opera-length gloves, and black pumps. Travis sported a black jacket, trousers, and maroon platform loafers.
You’d perhaps think that after a big Italian wedding they’d be all celebrated out. Think again. The couple are reportedly planning one last hurrah in LA for their extended family and friends and if the last three have been anything to go by, be sure to expect plenty more Dolce, Dolce, Dolce!
