Rewrite
It’s difficult to decipher a conversation with Dean and Dan Caten when the time comes to transcribe an interview.
The legendary Dsquared2 brothers constantly talk over each other and butt in to finish each other’s sentences, making it almost impossible to figure out who’s speaking when. These difficulties aside, it makes for an exciting listen, with the Canadian duo breathlessly dropping anecdotes about some of the most iconic moments in fashion history at breakneck speed. They’re also wildly open and unfiltered, which is rare when you get to the dizzy heights they’ve ascended to, with so many of fashion’s biggest players rarely willing to give big interviews, and largely remaining cagey about what they say when they do.
This bolshy, in-your-face attitude spills over into their collections, with Dsquared2 amassing fans spanning multiple generations – from the OGs of the late 1990s, to the Gen Z newbies who’ve fallen in love with their clothes and the world they’ve created across the last few years. With the benefit of being there the first time around, the Catens have harnessed the spirit of Y2K and repackaged it up for a fresh audience, sending glittering chaps, barely-there bodies,miniscule booty shorts, and deliciously trashy trucker caps down the runway on a swathe of rising supermodels, from Alex Consani and Alton Mason, to Amelia Gray and Gabriette, with recent shows exploding across TikTok, Instagram, and more. Through simply being themselves, Dean and Dan have cracked the code of virality and proved fashion just doesn’t need to be anywhere near as serious as it’s largely become.
“You know, we’re not saving lives. We’re just giving you a change of mindset,” says Dan, who adds that he and his brother “Could have a good time in a bus shelter”. “Clothes done properly can take you to another place. Putting them on can make you feel good, make you feel happy, make you feel sexy, good, slutty, whatever.” That’s not to say the clothes aren’t serious, though. While they’re serious about having a good time – and their fans having a blast, too – the brothers back it all up with well-cut, well-crafted garments – get up-close and personal with them in a store and you’ll see how immaculate the seams are, how considered every last detail has been, right down to the tiniest rivet..
Their last show was a celebration of all that – the highs and lows of the last three decades, as Dsquared2 celebrated its big flirty, dirty, 30th anniversary. Milan Fashion Week’s AW25 edition in February saw the brand stage a blowout party both on and off the catwalk, with the Catens taking over a massive warehouse with a street rave that threw it back to their early days in New York City. Opening with Doechii arriving in an armoured truck, the rapper sprinted down the runway in a massive pair of heels like it was nothing, before Alton Mason showed up as a rhinestone cowboy, Amelia Gray paid homage to Cher, nearly nude in Swarovski crystals and feathers, and longtime Dsquared2 muse Naomi Campbell came to show the kids how it’s done. But the big climax came when Brigitte Nielsen arrived in a cop car, siren blaring, and bent the brothers over the bonnet of the car as she ‘arrested them’.
Dsquared2 shows are always good, but this one closed off the first 30 years in spectacular fashion, and set the scene for another blockbuster era to come. “Fashion’s what we’re meant to do,” says Dean. “We couldn’t retire and just be on a beach. We’d get old. Our job keeps us young, keeps us alive. Yes, Judy, we’re not hanging up our heels just yet. As they begin the next no-doubt exhilarating chapter, the brothers reflect on the wildest moments of the last three decades, their fave ever shows, and what comes next.
Back when you started Dsquared2, did you ever think it would take off like it did?
Dean Caten: We hoped and dreamed that it would, but we always were cautious, and actually that’s how the name Dsquared2 became. because we were afraid to use our own names. So, we decided to create something that meant the two of us without using our names, and we came up with Dsquared2. Dean, Dan, two Ds, perfect harmony. Two creative forces working together in perfect harmony.
Dan Caten: A mathematical equation.
Were you any good at maths in school?
Dan Caten: No, we probably don’t remember what squared means (both laugh).
What were the biggest challenges in those early days?
Dan Caten: It wasn’t easy, but we kind of just threw ourselves into it!
Dean Caten: So, we had to find a small factory, find a showroom that would sell it, and we had to pay for everything, the patterns, the fabrics. It’s not easy. The showroom introduced us to the small factory, which then, in the end, when the collection was finished, the showroom said, ‘I don’t know, I don’t think you fit into the showroom’. So, we were stuck with our first ever collection on our hands. With no place to sell, and no money.
Dan Caten: So it was like ‘What are we going to do? And then we realized that there was a trade show in Paris, so we had two months to prepare a stand, make a little lookbook and price list, and we got our chance.
Was there a kind of ‘pinch me’ moment that made you think ‘Oh my god, we’ve made it’?
Dan Caten: Opening our first store in Milan was the pinch me moment. Rihanna just finished walking the show for us. She came to cut the ribbon, and we’re like, ‘Oh my god, we have bricks. We’re here. We’ve landed.’
“Brothers always fight, but we know each other very well. I think when it’s us against the world we’re stronger. That’s when the twin powers activate” – Dean and Dan Caten
What’s been the most fun moment of the last 30 years?
Dan Caten: I think the last show (AW25) was a very fun moment.
Dean Caten: But it was a nightmare moment! (laughs).
Dan Caten: I mean, it was a lot of work, but It was a fun moment. It was kind of like everything was our life story. We had a lot of fun moments. I mean, lots and lots, but I was really emotional about these 30 years. It really says a lot about who we are, and what we represent. And there were so many, like, little passages in the life story in that show, so it was a great moment. We started the company when we were 30, so 30 was a big number for us. A real turning point in our lives.
It was one of my favourite ever shows. Too much fun, so many gags.
Dean Caten: Thank you! I think it was also because it was so true to us, you know? Fashion’s about being exciting and entertaining, and we wanted to create something that even people who aren’t into fashion could get into.
You’re a tight unit, but how does it work being brothers and running a business together? Do you fight? How do you figure things out?
Dean Caten: Oh, brothers always fight, but we know each other very well. I think when it’s us against the world-
Dan Caten: We’re stronger!
Dean Caten: That’s when the twin powers activate.
What do you each bring to the table?
Dan Caten: Dean has a very strong creative mind, and maybe sometimes I have a more commercial mind. I can be responsible and kind of follow up bullshit stuff. Well, not bullshit stuff, but, you know, the boring stuff and try to keep his head less clogged with stuff that really doesn’t enter in the creative world.
Dean Caten: I mean, we kind of wear both hats, both of us, but we prefer to not change the hat so many times. It’s hard to wear the businessman hat and then, like, ‘Everything’s fine! Let’s draw pretty pictures.’
Beyond the one you’ve just talked about, I’d love it if you talked me through your fave ever shows. There have been SO many mega moments over the years.
Dean Caten: Star 24/7 (AW03), which was actually our first women’s show. We had all the girls standing by this bubblegum pink private plane, and Naomi ran up to it like she was going to miss it with all her bags. It was amazing.
Dan Caten: And Great White North (AW04) for sure! We had Mary J Blige, a ski lift, mounted police opening, and it snowed! We had Daria (Werbowy) open and an amazing cast of girls sledding, and it was all this lumberjack-y style stuff and it was just very funny, to be honest.
Dean Caten: And the diner, which was this kind of 1950s Russ Meyer mash-up of killer vixens that arrived on motorcycles and raided the diner. It was super sexy, and so saucy!
“Our AW06 show was a favourite. It was in that very British castle, when we had Brittany Murphy close the runway. The opening was this opera singer that broke a window, and it was very regal and royal – kind of equestrian horse hand meets the rich lady, it was very sexual” – Dean Caten
Dan Caten: Also the AW06 show, in that very British castle, when we had Brittany Murphy close the runway. The opening was this opera singer that broke a window, and it was very regal and royal – kind of equestrian horse hand meets the rich lady, it was very sexual.
Dean Caten: And the cowboys! (SS06) It was a barn dance, but with chandeliers everywhere. We had a bunch of horses too. We get really into making sets because of the storytelling – we’re kind of making a little movie with our shows. We get super into it – what’s the setting, who are our characters, what would they wear…
Dan Caten: What allergies would they have!?
What allergies would they have?
Dean Caten: Negative energy! (both laugh)
Do you feel like fashion takes itself too seriously these days?
Dan Caten: Totally. You know, we’re not saving lives. We’re just giving you a change of mindset. Clothes done properly can take someone to another place, it can be about putting on a persona, putting on clothes to make you feel good, make you feel happy, make you feel sexy, good, slutty, whatever.
So not only are your shows the most fun ones on the fashion calendar, you also throw a very good party. What’s the best one you’ve ever been to, or thrown yourselves?
Dean Caten: We have a good reputation for parties because I think we’re party guys. I mean, we kind of grew up in the club world, and grew up throwing parties – even when we were 16, we were throwing parties. What was the funnest party we’ve ever been to that wasn’t ours?
Dan Caten: There’s so many. It’s not about the party, it’s about you, and we could have fun in a bus shelter. But you have to be with the right people, the right energy. I think that’s the thing, when we have a party, we’re part of it. We’re not sitting there waiting for something to happen or watching something, we participate. I think that’s the difference. Some people, when they have parties, they just have the party. They have the place, that’s it.
How do you feel about the fact that Gen Z are really obsessed with Dsquared2 and have really embraced it. I see so many posting archive videos up and down Instagram and TikTok…
Dean Caten: We love that.
Dan Caten: I think that was actually a big inspiration for this 30 year birthday show, because they’re looking for those kinds of shows, and they don’t see them. We had a lot of stories, a lot of amazing moments, when Instagram wasn’t around to report it and get it to as many people as fashion gets to now. We wanted to capture that magic and get it out there!
Dean Caten: Kids today, and maybe everyone actually, they love the extreme. We love that they love us and love our archives. And actually seeing them embrace us reminded us of this – we have a huge archive, we have this big history now. Young designers today, this is where they want to get to. So we wanted to celebrate that.
You really cranked the dial on the Y2K resurgence that’s happening right now up to 11. How do you feel about that era from the first time around – what were the best and worst things about living through it?
Dan Caten: We didn’t take it so seriously! We were many years younger, having a lot of fun. And we were very courageous. We had that youthful bravado. We did what we wanted and we didn’t really care what anyone thought! We pushed a lot of buttons.
Dean Caten: When you do something that comes from the heart and it’s really what you like, people resonate with that, because it’s real and authentic. You can’t calculate things like that, they just happen. It’s beautiful and it’s organic. Then and now, it’s never being forced by our communications team, it’s all us.
“When you do something that comes from the heart people resonate with that, because it’s real and authentic. You can’t calculate things like that, they just happen. It’s beautiful and it’s organic. Then and now, it’s never being forced by our communications team, it’s all us” – Dean Caten
You’ve moved from four shows, to two shows, to one show a year. How come?
Dean Caten: That’s a lot of shows over the years, honey!
Dan Caten: The older we get, the more tired we get. So there’s just going to be one really, really good one. Christmas comes just once a year, as they say.
So, the last show, which most of us are still not over – how long did it take to actually bring that to life?
Dean Caten: Six long months of work. But a lot of it just came together – we were working with Doechii on some red carpet stuff and we knew we wanted to have lots of different characters and personalities and celebrities involved, so that just kind of happened – but it being three days before she went to the Grammys was a big surprise. Good timing.
Dan Caten: It was all a lot to lock down, so many big names, a huge production, that cast. But it was a really important show for us, and we needed to express that. We really appreciate the people that came on board with us, because they came as the best versions of themselves. With historical girls like Naomi (Campbell) and Isabeli (Fontana), they had to keep up.
Dean Caten: That was the most fun part. Everybody in that show wanted to be in the show, and they were there to have fun and not because it was a job. I think it’s a spirit mindset. That was what we tried to create with the people we work with. It’s not always just work. It’s kind of like, let’s give it to them.
And the finale of the show. Brigitte Nielsen as the cop and you two getting arrested. How did that happen?
Dan Caten: Beverly Hills Cop! Gagged to have her, she came out the first scene, and she was so amazing.
Dean Caten: We were thinking, okay, how can we show up? Horses weren’t available. So instead let’s get busted and come in in a cop car. Then we’re like, okay, we should get Naomi to be a girl cop. Then it was supposed to be a boy. Everything kind of falls into place somehow.
Did you know Brigitte before this, or was it a cold call situation?
Dean Caten: No, no, no. We knew her as an actress. We knew we loved her. She came and she was lovely. She had read up on us. She was a very genuine, sincere woman and we loved her. She was so much fun. So fab.
Do you get stressed before a show? You always seem so chill.
Dan Caten: Oh no, we’re very stressed!
Dean Caten: We’re stressed before the show, during the show, backstage watching on the monitors, until we have to go out, then the nerves. Now it’s finished, nobody fell, nothing bad happened, we exhale when we come out.
Dan Caten: We’re running from camera, changing room to changing room like, okay, we’re working on her, okay, she’s ready. Let’s go over here. How’s she there? Problems over here? We are kind of checking up on everything that’s going on to make sure that everything is smooth. So yeah, it’s nervewracking.
Dean Caten: That’s why we have the parties after. We need to let it out!
“We were thinking, okay, how can we show up? Horses weren’t available. So instead let’s get busted and come in in a cop car” – Dean Caten on the AW25 finale moment
Is there anyone that you’d love to see on your runway that hasn’t walked it yet?
Dean Caten: All these tricky questions! What we like is when things are mutual. You like somebody, and it’s like finding a boyfriend or a girlfriend. There has to be a mutual thing. Then it works. Just for the sake of somebody, that doesn’t have the same significance. Doechii likes us, we love her, there’s connections.
Dan Caten: There are people that we had in mind that didn’t happen. There were people that we had in mind that did happen. It’s all about timing and schedules. Everyone is so busy!
Okay. Who is in your dream blunt rotation, or dinner party, alive or dead?
Dan Caten: I would have loved to know Joan Crawford. I love these questions.
Dean Caten: Someone that has lots to talk about. Marilyn (Monroe), James Dean, and Michael Jackson.
Are these all coming to the same dinner?
Dean Caten: That would be amazing.
Dan Caten: But we like one on one. I hate when too many people have to spread around. It would be us and someone. One by one, so you really get to know them. I’d love that.
Say you were hosting a Dsquared2 festival, who would be your headliner for each of the three nights?
Dean Caten: Oh god, there’s so many artists we love, it’s so hard to say one over another. We’d have to have a very long festival.
You’re 30 years down. What do the next 30 look like in your mind?
Dean Caten: It’s a turning of the page. It’s a brand new beginning. A step forward. We’re ready. We’ve still got lots to give. Thirty has been a piece of cake. We’re going for 60. I think really, we’re realising-
Dan Caten: We still love what we do!
Dean Caten: I think we’ve accepted that we’re a brand, a real brand, and not something light. There are so many more things that we could tap into with the brand, and so many ideas we still have – and we will. We still enjoy it, it’s what we’re meant to do.
Dan Caten: We couldn’t retire and be on a beach – we’d just get old. Our job is keeping us young, keeping us alive, and that’s why we love it. And to the next show? Yes, Judy, we’re not hanging up our heels just yet.
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It’s difficult to decipher a conversation with Dean and Dan Caten when the time comes to transcribe an interview.
The legendary Dsquared2 brothers constantly talk over each other and butt in to finish each other’s sentences, making it almost impossible to figure out who’s speaking when. These difficulties aside, it makes for an exciting listen, with the Canadian duo breathlessly dropping anecdotes about some of the most iconic moments in fashion history at breakneck speed. They’re also wildly open and unfiltered, which is rare when you get to the dizzy heights they’ve ascended to, with so many of fashion’s biggest players rarely willing to give big interviews, and largely remaining cagey about what they say when they do.
This bolshy, in-your-face attitude spills over into their collections, with Dsquared2 amassing fans spanning multiple generations – from the OGs of the late 1990s, to the Gen Z newbies who’ve fallen in love with their clothes and the world they’ve created across the last few years. With the benefit of being there the first time around, the Catens have harnessed the spirit of Y2K and repackaged it up for a fresh audience, sending glittering chaps, barely-there bodies,miniscule booty shorts, and deliciously trashy trucker caps down the runway on a swathe of rising supermodels, from Alex Consani and Alton Mason, to Amelia Gray and Gabriette, with recent shows exploding across TikTok, Instagram, and more. Through simply being themselves, Dean and Dan have cracked the code of virality and proved fashion just doesn’t need to be anywhere near as serious as it’s largely become.
“You know, we’re not saving lives. We’re just giving you a change of mindset,” says Dan, who adds that he and his brother “Could have a good time in a bus shelter”. “Clothes done properly can take you to another place. Putting them on can make you feel good, make you feel happy, make you feel sexy, good, slutty, whatever.” That’s not to say the clothes aren’t serious, though. While they’re serious about having a good time – and their fans having a blast, too – the brothers back it all up with well-cut, well-crafted garments – get up-close and personal with them in a store and you’ll see how immaculate the seams are, how considered every last detail has been, right down to the tiniest rivet..
Their last show was a celebration of all that – the highs and lows of the last three decades, as Dsquared2 celebrated its big flirty, dirty, 30th anniversary. Milan Fashion Week’s AW25 edition in February saw the brand stage a blowout party both on and off the catwalk, with the Catens taking over a massive warehouse with a street rave that threw it back to their early days in New York City. Opening with Doechii arriving in an armoured truck, the rapper sprinted down the runway in a massive pair of heels like it was nothing, before Alton Mason showed up as a rhinestone cowboy, Amelia Gray paid homage to Cher, nearly nude in Swarovski crystals and feathers, and longtime Dsquared2 muse Naomi Campbell came to show the kids how it’s done. But the big climax came when Brigitte Nielsen arrived in a cop car, siren blaring, and bent the brothers over the bonnet of the car as she ‘arrested them’.
Dsquared2 shows are always good, but this one closed off the first 30 years in spectacular fashion, and set the scene for another blockbuster era to come. “Fashion’s what we’re meant to do,” says Dean. “We couldn’t retire and just be on a beach. We’d get old. Our job keeps us young, keeps us alive. Yes, Judy, we’re not hanging up our heels just yet. As they begin the next no-doubt exhilarating chapter, the brothers reflect on the wildest moments of the last three decades, their fave ever shows, and what comes next.
Back when you started Dsquared2, did you ever think it would take off like it did?
Dean Caten: We hoped and dreamed that it would, but we always were cautious, and actually that’s how the name Dsquared2 became. because we were afraid to use our own names. So, we decided to create something that meant the two of us without using our names, and we came up with Dsquared2. Dean, Dan, two Ds, perfect harmony. Two creative forces working together in perfect harmony.
Dan Caten: A mathematical equation.
Were you any good at maths in school?
Dan Caten: No, we probably don’t remember what squared means (both laugh).
What were the biggest challenges in those early days?
Dan Caten: It wasn’t easy, but we kind of just threw ourselves into it!
Dean Caten: So, we had to find a small factory, find a showroom that would sell it, and we had to pay for everything, the patterns, the fabrics. It’s not easy. The showroom introduced us to the small factory, which then, in the end, when the collection was finished, the showroom said, ‘I don’t know, I don’t think you fit into the showroom’. So, we were stuck with our first ever collection on our hands. With no place to sell, and no money.
Dan Caten: So it was like ‘What are we going to do? And then we realized that there was a trade show in Paris, so we had two months to prepare a stand, make a little lookbook and price list, and we got our chance.
Was there a kind of ‘pinch me’ moment that made you think ‘Oh my god, we’ve made it’?
Dan Caten: Opening our first store in Milan was the pinch me moment. Rihanna just finished walking the show for us. She came to cut the ribbon, and we’re like, ‘Oh my god, we have bricks. We’re here. We’ve landed.’
“Brothers always fight, but we know each other very well. I think when it’s us against the world we’re stronger. That’s when the twin powers activate” – Dean and Dan Caten
What’s been the most fun moment of the last 30 years?
Dan Caten: I think the last show (AW25) was a very fun moment.
Dean Caten: But it was a nightmare moment! (laughs).
Dan Caten: I mean, it was a lot of work, but It was a fun moment. It was kind of like everything was our life story. We had a lot of fun moments. I mean, lots and lots, but I was really emotional about these 30 years. It really says a lot about who we are, and what we represent. And there were so many, like, little passages in the life story in that show, so it was a great moment. We started the company when we were 30, so 30 was a big number for us. A real turning point in our lives.
It was one of my favourite ever shows. Too much fun, so many gags.
Dean Caten: Thank you! I think it was also because it was so true to us, you know? Fashion’s about being exciting and entertaining, and we wanted to create something that even people who aren’t into fashion could get into.
You’re a tight unit, but how does it work being brothers and running a business together? Do you fight? How do you figure things out?
Dean Caten: Oh, brothers always fight, but we know each other very well. I think when it’s us against the world-
Dan Caten: We’re stronger!
Dean Caten: That’s when the twin powers activate.
What do you each bring to the table?
Dan Caten: Dean has a very strong creative mind, and maybe sometimes I have a more commercial mind. I can be responsible and kind of follow up bullshit stuff. Well, not bullshit stuff, but, you know, the boring stuff and try to keep his head less clogged with stuff that really doesn’t enter in the creative world.
Dean Caten: I mean, we kind of wear both hats, both of us, but we prefer to not change the hat so many times. It’s hard to wear the businessman hat and then, like, ‘Everything’s fine! Let’s draw pretty pictures.’
Beyond the one you’ve just talked about, I’d love it if you talked me through your fave ever shows. There have been SO many mega moments over the years.
Dean Caten: Star 24/7 (AW03), which was actually our first women’s show. We had all the girls standing by this bubblegum pink private plane, and Naomi ran up to it like she was going to miss it with all her bags. It was amazing.
Dan Caten: And Great White North (AW04) for sure! We had Mary J Blige, a ski lift, mounted police opening, and it snowed! We had Daria (Werbowy) open and an amazing cast of girls sledding, and it was all this lumberjack-y style stuff and it was just very funny, to be honest.
Dean Caten: And the diner, which was this kind of 1950s Russ Meyer mash-up of killer vixens that arrived on motorcycles and raided the diner. It was super sexy, and so saucy!
“Our AW06 show was a favourite. It was in that very British castle, when we had Brittany Murphy close the runway. The opening was this opera singer that broke a window, and it was very regal and royal – kind of equestrian horse hand meets the rich lady, it was very sexual” – Dean Caten
Dan Caten: Also the AW06 show, in that very British castle, when we had Brittany Murphy close the runway. The opening was this opera singer that broke a window, and it was very regal and royal – kind of equestrian horse hand meets the rich lady, it was very sexual.
Dean Caten: And the cowboys! (SS06) It was a barn dance, but with chandeliers everywhere. We had a bunch of horses too. We get really into making sets because of the storytelling – we’re kind of making a little movie with our shows. We get super into it – what’s the setting, who are our characters, what would they wear…
Dan Caten: What allergies would they have!?
What allergies would they have?
Dean Caten: Negative energy! (both laugh)
Do you feel like fashion takes itself too seriously these days?
Dan Caten: Totally. You know, we’re not saving lives. We’re just giving you a change of mindset. Clothes done properly can take someone to another place, it can be about putting on a persona, putting on clothes to make you feel good, make you feel happy, make you feel sexy, good, slutty, whatever.
So not only are your shows the most fun ones on the fashion calendar, you also throw a very good party. What’s the best one you’ve ever been to, or thrown yourselves?
Dean Caten: We have a good reputation for parties because I think we’re party guys. I mean, we kind of grew up in the club world, and grew up throwing parties – even when we were 16, we were throwing parties. What was the funnest party we’ve ever been to that wasn’t ours?
Dan Caten: There’s so many. It’s not about the party, it’s about you, and we could have fun in a bus shelter. But you have to be with the right people, the right energy. I think that’s the thing, when we have a party, we’re part of it. We’re not sitting there waiting for something to happen or watching something, we participate. I think that’s the difference. Some people, when they have parties, they just have the party. They have the place, that’s it.
How do you feel about the fact that Gen Z are really obsessed with Dsquared2 and have really embraced it. I see so many posting archive videos up and down Instagram and TikTok…
Dean Caten: We love that.
Dan Caten: I think that was actually a big inspiration for this 30 year birthday show, because they’re looking for those kinds of shows, and they don’t see them. We had a lot of stories, a lot of amazing moments, when Instagram wasn’t around to report it and get it to as many people as fashion gets to now. We wanted to capture that magic and get it out there!
Dean Caten: Kids today, and maybe everyone actually, they love the extreme. We love that they love us and love our archives. And actually seeing them embrace us reminded us of this – we have a huge archive, we have this big history now. Young designers today, this is where they want to get to. So we wanted to celebrate that.
You really cranked the dial on the Y2K resurgence that’s happening right now up to 11. How do you feel about that era from the first time around – what were the best and worst things about living through it?
Dan Caten: We didn’t take it so seriously! We were many years younger, having a lot of fun. And we were very courageous. We had that youthful bravado. We did what we wanted and we didn’t really care what anyone thought! We pushed a lot of buttons.
Dean Caten: When you do something that comes from the heart and it’s really what you like, people resonate with that, because it’s real and authentic. You can’t calculate things like that, they just happen. It’s beautiful and it’s organic. Then and now, it’s never being forced by our communications team, it’s all us.
“When you do something that comes from the heart people resonate with that, because it’s real and authentic. You can’t calculate things like that, they just happen. It’s beautiful and it’s organic. Then and now, it’s never being forced by our communications team, it’s all us” – Dean Caten
You’ve moved from four shows, to two shows, to one show a year. How come?
Dean Caten: That’s a lot of shows over the years, honey!
Dan Caten: The older we get, the more tired we get. So there’s just going to be one really, really good one. Christmas comes just once a year, as they say.
So, the last show, which most of us are still not over – how long did it take to actually bring that to life?
Dean Caten: Six long months of work. But a lot of it just came together – we were working with Doechii on some red carpet stuff and we knew we wanted to have lots of different characters and personalities and celebrities involved, so that just kind of happened – but it being three days before she went to the Grammys was a big surprise. Good timing.
Dan Caten: It was all a lot to lock down, so many big names, a huge production, that cast. But it was a really important show for us, and we needed to express that. We really appreciate the people that came on board with us, because they came as the best versions of themselves. With historical girls like Naomi (Campbell) and Isabeli (Fontana), they had to keep up.
Dean Caten: That was the most fun part. Everybody in that show wanted to be in the show, and they were there to have fun and not because it was a job. I think it’s a spirit mindset. That was what we tried to create with the people we work with. It’s not always just work. It’s kind of like, let’s give it to them.
And the finale of the show. Brigitte Nielsen as the cop and you two getting arrested. How did that happen?
Dan Caten: Beverly Hills Cop! Gagged to have her, she came out the first scene, and she was so amazing.
Dean Caten: We were thinking, okay, how can we show up? Horses weren’t available. So instead let’s get busted and come in in a cop car. Then we’re like, okay, we should get Naomi to be a girl cop. Then it was supposed to be a boy. Everything kind of falls into place somehow.
Did you know Brigitte before this, or was it a cold call situation?
Dean Caten: No, no, no. We knew her as an actress. We knew we loved her. She came and she was lovely. She had read up on us. She was a very genuine, sincere woman and we loved her. She was so much fun. So fab.
Do you get stressed before a show? You always seem so chill.
Dan Caten: Oh no, we’re very stressed!
Dean Caten: We’re stressed before the show, during the show, backstage watching on the monitors, until we have to go out, then the nerves. Now it’s finished, nobody fell, nothing bad happened, we exhale when we come out.
Dan Caten: We’re running from camera, changing room to changing room like, okay, we’re working on her, okay, she’s ready. Let’s go over here. How’s she there? Problems over here? We are kind of checking up on everything that’s going on to make sure that everything is smooth. So yeah, it’s nervewracking.
Dean Caten: That’s why we have the parties after. We need to let it out!
“We were thinking, okay, how can we show up? Horses weren’t available. So instead let’s get busted and come in in a cop car” – Dean Caten on the AW25 finale moment
Is there anyone that you’d love to see on your runway that hasn’t walked it yet?
Dean Caten: All these tricky questions! What we like is when things are mutual. You like somebody, and it’s like finding a boyfriend or a girlfriend. There has to be a mutual thing. Then it works. Just for the sake of somebody, that doesn’t have the same significance. Doechii likes us, we love her, there’s connections.
Dan Caten: There are people that we had in mind that didn’t happen. There were people that we had in mind that did happen. It’s all about timing and schedules. Everyone is so busy!
Okay. Who is in your dream blunt rotation, or dinner party, alive or dead?
Dan Caten: I would have loved to know Joan Crawford. I love these questions.
Dean Caten: Someone that has lots to talk about. Marilyn (Monroe), James Dean, and Michael Jackson.
Are these all coming to the same dinner?
Dean Caten: That would be amazing.
Dan Caten: But we like one on one. I hate when too many people have to spread around. It would be us and someone. One by one, so you really get to know them. I’d love that.
Say you were hosting a Dsquared2 festival, who would be your headliner for each of the three nights?
Dean Caten: Oh god, there’s so many artists we love, it’s so hard to say one over another. We’d have to have a very long festival.
You’re 30 years down. What do the next 30 look like in your mind?
Dean Caten: It’s a turning of the page. It’s a brand new beginning. A step forward. We’re ready. We’ve still got lots to give. Thirty has been a piece of cake. We’re going for 60. I think really, we’re realising-
Dan Caten: We still love what we do!
Dean Caten: I think we’ve accepted that we’re a brand, a real brand, and not something light. There are so many more things that we could tap into with the brand, and so many ideas we still have – and we will. We still enjoy it, it’s what we’re meant to do.
Dan Caten: We couldn’t retire and be on a beach – we’d just get old. Our job is keeping us young, keeping us alive, and that’s why we love it. And to the next show? Yes, Judy, we’re not hanging up our heels just yet.
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