Hong Kong (CNN)Italian
fashion designers Stefano Gabbana and Domenico Dolce told CNN they
respect how all people live after the uproar over their comments about
children born through in vitro fertilization (IVF).
The comments triggered a social media spat and calls for a boycott by singer Elton John.
In
an exclusive interview on Wednesday, Dolce said his views on IVF were
private, personal beliefs based on his sense of a traditional Sicilian
family.
"I believe in the traditional
family," he said. "It is impossible to change my culture for something
different. It's me... I respect all the world, all the culture."
Dolce
said he did not judge people who chose the procedure, although he
previously made controversial statements to the Italian magazine,
Panorama, referring to IVF babies as "chemistry children and synthetic
children."
He
was quoted in the magazine saying: "Wombs for rent, sperm selected from
a catalog... Who would agree to be the daughter of chemistry?
Procreation must be an act of love, now not even psychiatrists are
prepared to deal with the effects of these experiments."
His comments drew fierce denunciation from John.
"How
dare you refer to my beautiful children as 'synthetic,'" he posted on
his Instagram on Sunday. John has two children with husband David
Furnish through IVF.
