Dolce & Gabbana to brand Michael Stern’s condo tower in Miami

Italian fashion house also plans projects in Spain and the Maldives

Alfonso Dolce and JDS Development's Michael Stern with a rendering of 888 Brickell
Alfonso Dolce and JDS Development's Michael Stern with a rendering of 888 Brickell (JDS, Getty)

Dolce & Gabbana is partnering with developer Michael Stern to brand a condo tower in Miami. 

The Italian designer is the latest fashion house to work with a developer on branded condos in South Florida, as it expands into real estate worldwide. Dolce & Gabbana announced this week it planned two residential developments, including one in Miami with Stern’s JDS Development Group, and one in Marbella, Spain with Sierra Blanca Estates. It also plans a hotel in the Maldives with DarGlobal, Dolce & Gabbana said in a statement posted on its LinkedIn

The development in Miami is likely JDS’ 888 Brickell project, which was previously expected to be a Major Food Group tower. The supertall, at 1,049 feet tall, could become among the tallest in Miami, with other towers also planned at that height. 

Rendering of the pool area at 888 Brickell
Rendering of the pool area at 888 Brickell

Dolce & Gabbana and JDS did not respond to requests for comment. 

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New York-based JDS plans a 90-story, 259-unit condo tower on the half-acre Brickell Avenue lot. The firm has been under contract to acquire the seven-story office building currently on the site. 

JDS said last year that it planned to launch sales of 888 Brickell in the fall and break ground sometime this year. Prices for Major condo units previously were expected to range from $1.6 million to $11 million, excluding penthouses.

Major Food Group and JDS went their separate ways months after announcing a partnership for the 888 Brickell project. Sources at the time said they didn’t have a signed agreement. The New York-based restaurant group is now working with Terra and One Thousand Group on a planned condo tower in Edgewater, The Real Deal previously reported. 

JDS’ other planned developments in Miami include the nearby 1 Southside Park project at 1133 Southwest Second Avenue in Brickell. The 2.5 million-square-foot development calls for a 752-foot-tall tower with 1,000 apartments, 200 micro-units, a 200-room hotel, and 250,000 square feet of office space. JDS inked a deal with the city of Miami, in which the firm agreed to build an $8 million fire station for the city on the ground floor and invest about $5 million in public benefits.

The branded residences trend has boomed in South Florida. Just this week, Dezer Development and the Related Group announced they are partnering with Rosewood Hotels & Resorts to launch Rosewood Residences in Hillsboro Beach. Brands such as Porsche Design, Armani/Casa, Aston Martin, Missoni, Ritz-Carlton and others have towers in Miami-Dade County.