Billionaire fashion designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana may be in hot water in Italy for allegedly dodging tax payments on $1.38 billion — but it hasn’t cramped their luxury lifestyles. Gabbana has been looking for a New York home and was recently close to buying the $60 million penthouse at the Mark Hotel, Page Six has exclusively learned.
Sources say that at the last moment, the designer decided against the purchase because the ritzy property is burdened by a land lease that made the transaction too complicated. Gabbana is still looking — but only above 57th Street, so he can be far away from his partner, Dolce, who lives in Chelsea.
“Stefano has been searching for an apartment in New York this year,” an insider said. “He was looking at apartments in the range of $60 million, but nothing south of 57th Street.”
Dolce bought two penthouses in Chelsea’s luxury Sky Garage tower in 2009 for $29 million.
“Stefano wants to be nowhere near Domenico,” said our source.
Page Six reported this past week that Gabbana is convinced he’s being followed by private eyes, and he’s been telling pals the snoops could be taking orders from his longtime business partner or the Italian government.
Dolce and Gabbana were convicted last year of hiding hundreds of millions from Italian tax authorities and were sentenced to 18 months in prison. They’re appealing the case to Italy’s Supreme Court and likely won’t serve time in jail.
Further downtown, meanwhile, Dolce has done extensive renovations on the Chelsea abode he bought five years ago and into which he moved only “about five months ago,” a source said.
“He’s probably put a total of $90 million into it — and that’s before you add his art collection,” the insider said.
Dolce and Gabbana’s rep didn’t get back to us. But regarding our last report about a rift between the pair and PI paranoia, Gabbana said via Instagram, “#fantasy #lies” and, “Yes!!! . . . true because Domenico stole me a miniskirt!!!!!”