Twin founders Dean and Dan Caten of Dsquared2 commemorate three decades of their brand with a vision aimed at empowering wearers and making them feel bold. In an interview, they emphasize balancing sophistication and irreverence, drawing from their Canadian and Italian roots. The label, launched in 1995, gained fame through collaborations like Madonna's.
Dean and Dan Caten, twins born in Toronto in 1964 as the youngest of nine siblings from Italian immigrants from Calabria, have been immersed in fashion since childhood. They made clothes for their sisters and studied at the Parsons School of Design in New York. After working at Versace, Gianfranco Ferré, and Diesel, they launched Dsquared2 in Milan in 1995, a name playing on their twin status.
The brand features the Canadian flag in its prints and bears the motto 'Born in Canada, Made in Italy'. Its young and carefree style diverges from conventional Italian fashion, seeking contrasts between sophistication and irreverence. In 2000, Madonna commissioned them for the wardrobe of her 'Don’t Tell Me' tour, propelling them to stardom in luxury.
To mark the 30th anniversary, they published an emotional letter to Julie Enfield, a Canadian photographer who mentored them since 1976. "Each collection is designed to empower someone, to make them feel bold and alive", the designers state. They describe their approach: "We've always loved walking that line between sophistication and irreverence; that's where the energy and excitement come from. But we also know when to pull back [...] Dsquared2 has always been about contrasts, but at its core, it's about honesty".
This honesty stems from their roots, humor, and passion for fashion, inspiring boldness and authenticity without provocation for its own sake.