Dsquared2
Dsquared2 Italian fashion house, founded by twins Dean and Dan
The Caten twins, whose real surname is Catenacci, were born in Toronto in 1965. Dsquared2 is one of the few brands founded by foreigners present in the National Chamber of Italian Fashion. The Caten brothers, with a diploma in fashion design from the Parsons School of Design in New York, decided to leave the United States in 1991. They moved to Milan to launch themselves into the world of fashion. In March 1994 they signed an agreement for the production of the garments with the Rimini company Gild S.r.l. and in September of the same year the first collection was presented at the Salon Européen Habit Masculin in Paris. Thus they earned excellent critical acclaim and became one of the most popular brands in Japan, the USA and many European countries.
Dsquared2’s style
The brand’s style, contemporary and with a street attitude, with attention to fits and the renewal of everyday garments through fabrics and details, immediately became an icon for the young luxury market. In January 1995 Dsquared2 was exhibited for the first time in Milan: from that moment the maison dressed many pop icons of the youth market, including Justin Timberlake, Steven Gerrard, Lenny Kravitz, Britney Spears and Madonna.
The brand’s strength lies in the constitution of a precise and defined imagery, attributable to an unconventional lifestyle that recurs in every collection, always differentiating itself with new and original tricks. A classic men’s wardrobe is analysed and reinterpreted with contemporary irony and a desecrating spirit. The collections highlight the twins’ style and their strong bond with the streets of international metropolises and with the easy-going and disengaged attitude of North American dressing. Their street de luxe is characterized by the freedom to overlap and layer garments, to combine colours, to mix styles.
The new millennium of Dsquared2
In 2000 and 2001, Dan and Dean designed over 150 looks for Madonna’s Drowned World Tour, the American pop star’s new musical tour. They also designed the garments for the video Don’t Tell Me, which had international success. In that same period, the Caten brothers participated as judges in the American program America’s Next Top Model, the successful TV program created and directed by supermodel Tyra Banks. In this way they increased their fame in the States even more. With their care for details and obsession with perfection, they followed every detail of their fashion shows by organizing original and alienating setups.
The scenography that makes up the background of the collections reflects the style of the two stylists with original coherence. It also introduces guests to the mood of each collection. Garbage bags and recycled materials, ranch-style wooden houses, hay bales, metropolitan suburban scenarios complete with industrial warehouses, old caravans, DJ booths directly on the runway, aircraft parts are just some of the elements that make up their amazing stagings every season, making each fashion show a long-awaited one. Since 2002 Dsquared2 has been produced and distributed by Staff International S.p.A., a Venetian company located in Noventa Vicentina owned by the Only The Brave group led by the creator of Diesel, Renzo Rosso.
Dsquared2, the development of the brand
In 2003 also the first women’s collection was born. Dean and Dan’s style continued to be marked by their motto “Born in Canada, made in Italy”. In fact, even though it had a strong international allure, the collection was 100% made in Italy.
In 2006 they received the prestigious Golden Needle, thus adding to the list of previous award winners including Gianni Versace, Jean Paul Gaultier, John Galliano and Oscar de la Renta.
Then in 2008 Dsquared2 came to an agreement with I.T.F. for the production of fragrances and cosmetics which ended with the successful launch of the fragrances He Wood and She Wood. In 2009 they designed all the clothes for Circus Starring Britney Spears, the American singer’s world tour. In January 2010 Bill Kaulitz, the leader of the Tokyo Hotel band, opened the show of their autumn/winter 2010 men’s collection at Milano Collezioni.
Dsquared2 and sport
In 2006 the most famous twins in fashion designed the uniforms for the Juventus football team. From 2009 to 2011 they created the official uniforms for Futbol Club Barcelona. The following year they were appointed headline talent costume designers for the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. In 2016 Dsquared signed an agreement with Manchester City, becoming the team’s official fashion partner. The link between the brand is sport is known: in fact in 2021 the capsule created in collaboration with Zlatan Ibrahimovic was born. ICON IbrahimovicXDsquared2, a capsule consisting of t-shirts, jeans and sweatshirts with writings that tell about the iconic nature of the footballer.
In 2021 Dsquared2 signed an agreement with Safilo. A top player in the production and distribution of eyewear, for the production of eyewear signed by the brand.
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