THEY have endured a barrage of online attacks since airing their controversial views on IVF and surrogacy.
On Thursday, designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana admitted it was a ‘really big mistake’ to label babies conceived artificially as ‘synthetic’.
But they said that a boycott of their brand – called for by Sir Elton John – was ‘medieval’.
Mr Dolce, 56, and Mr Gabbana, 52, who were a couple until 2005, clarified the remarks that angered Sir Elton and other stars.
Speaking in broken English, Mr Dolce told CNN News: ‘Every people, every children, every baby needs a mother. I am for a woman.’
Mr Gabbana said he would love to have children, but only if he could raise them with their mother. He said: ‘I want to meet this woman and I want to grow this creature with this woman. I don’t want to take for me. The fruit of love is the child.’ He added: ‘Many people don’t read the article we made it ten days ago. It was a really big mistake.
‘It was like a telephone without a cord. At the end come out this strange thing. We love gay couples. We are gay. We love gay adoption.
“Maybe we used the wrong word. Synthetic – is not synthetic for sure because it’s not plastic. It’s human.”
The spat began when Mr Dolce said he did not agree with IVF and surrogacy, adding that all children should ‘have a mother and a father’. He said he was ‘not convinced by what I call chemical children, synthetic babies’.
The Italian designers later said in a statement ‘it was never our intention to judge other people’s choices’. Sir Elton, 67, and his husband David Furnish have two children by IVF and surrogacy – Zachary, four, and Elijah, two. He posted on Instagram: “How dare you refer to my beautiful children as ‘synthetic’. And shame on you for wagging your judgemental little fingers at IVF – a miracle that has allowed legions of loving people, both straight and gay, to fulfil their dream of having children.”
He added the hashtag ‘Boycott DolceGabbana’, while Victoria Beckham, 40, and comic David Walliams, 43, also condemned the comments. Mr Gabbana said: “We don’t like the attacks. Boycott D&G. For what? Because I don’t think like you? Is this correct? This is not correct. We are in 2015. This is like medieval.”
Mr Dolce extended an olive branch, saying: “I don’t boycott Elton John. I love this music of Elton John. I sing every day. I don’t care. I am freedom.”
Representatives for Sir Elton declined to comment on Wednesday.
Daily Mail