Dolce and Gabbana Sentenced to Jail

The case against Dolce & Gabbana has come to an end, and it's not what the designers would have hoped. They were found guilty of tax evasion and sentenced to prison.

According to WWD, Italian judge Judge Antonella Brambilla has ruled that designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana will serve one year and eight months in jail for tax evasion. (That's at least four major fashion seasons).

The prosecution had initially requested that the designers each serve two and a half years, while also requesting time for Domenico’s brother and board member Alfonso Dolce, board member and general director Cristiana Ruella, and finance director Giuseppe Minoni. Dolce & Gabbana’s accountant, Luciano Patelli, may be sentenced to three years as the “main orchestrato of the evasion scheme,” per WWD. Charges stem from the 2004 sale of Dolce & Gabbana brands to the Luxembourg-based company Gado Srl, which prosecutors allege was done for the sole purpose of evading Italian taxes.

Dolce and Gabbana are expected to appeal the decision; the Twitter hashtag #freedolceandgabbana has already taken off