Dolce & Gabbana's Naples and Palermo campaigns criticized for clichés

Dolce & Gabbana's latest advertising campaign for The One perfume, directed by Matteo Garrone and starring Game of Thrones actors Emilia Clarke and Kit Harington, has been widely criticized for relying on stereotypes of Naples. The spot features the duo walking through the city amidst masks of the commedia dell'arte, sailors, street vendors, pizza makers, and elderly women, set to Renato Carosone's "Tu vo' fa' l'americano." Critics argue the ad offers no new insight, merely amplifying clichés seen in shows like "Il Boss delle Cerimonie." Stefano Gabbana defended the campaign on Instagram, stating that myths and clichés attract tourists, not sociological dissertations. The article also recalls the brand's 2017 Alta Moda show in Palermo, which similarly relied on Sicilian clichés such as cassata-inspired dresses and Gattopardo motifs. The piece argues that such superficial use of tradition results in boredom rather than magic, quoting Roland Barthes on the inability of the petty bourgeois to imagine the Other. The author, Helga Marsala, is an art critic and curator who has taught at the Academy of Fine Arts in Palermo and Rome.