Stefano Gabbana has resigned as chairman of Dolce & Gabbana, the Italian luxury house he co-founded with Domenico Dolce back in 1985, though he will maintain a creative role.The company described the departure, which took effect on 1 January, as “a natural process of organisational and governance evolution”.Stepping into the chairman’s role is Alfonso Dolce — Domenico’s brother — who takes the corporate reins as the brand navigates a fresh round of debt refinancing.According to Bloomberg, which first reported the story, D&G is in talks with bank lenders to refinance €450m in debt. The company confirmed negotiations were ongoing but said it had “nothing to report” beyond that.Gabbana, 63, is also reportedly weighing options for his 40% stake in the company — a detail that, combined with the debt talks, suggests the house of Dolce & Gabbana is in the middle of a rather more complicated restructuring.None of this appeared to dampen the mood at Milan Fashion Week in February, where both Dolce and Gabbana took their bow on the runway alongside Madonna — a reminder that whatever is happening in the boardroom, the brand’s flair for spectacle remains very much intact.D&G built its name on Dolce’s Sicilian roots and a particular genius for form-fitting glamour that has kept stars from Madonna to Monica Bellucci reaching for the label across four decades.The creative partnership, at least, shows no sign of stepping down.