If fashion is a show, then Dean and Dan Caten have always understood how to command the spotlight. This year, the twin brothers behind DSQUARED2 celebrate 30 years of their homegrown brand—a legacy built on theatrical runway moments, unapologetic cheek, and a distinctly cross-cultural sensibility that bridges Canadian roots, Italian craft, and New York grit. With a shared vision sharpened by their twin intuition (and decades of creative shorthand), the duo has transformed risk into reward, and humor into high fashion.
As they reflect on their journey—from moonlighting on their own designs in Toronto to building a global brand from Milan—Dean and Dan sit down with V Magazine‘s Mathias Rosenzweig to talk about their early hustle, as well as what’s to come.
Read V’s exclusive Q&A with DSQUARED2’s Dean and Dan below!
Dean & Dan Caten with Brigitte Nielsen – Dsquared2 30th Anniversary FW25 Co-ed show finale
Mathias Rosenzweig: What was it like starting your own business together?
Dean: Well, it’s a sort of long story. How much time do you have?
MR: Plenty.
Dean: Let’s go step by step. We started working in Canada, and we were fortunate to work for a big company when we were quite young. And then he (Luke Tanabe) sold the company, and it was our cue.
Dan: Even at night, we were already dabbling in our own thing.
Dean: So we were moonlighting, and then during the day working for a serious, serious brand, and he sold the company. It was time to make a move. And so we moved to Europe, because we loved spending time there, and just felt more at home there. And so then five years went by, and we said, ‘Okay, it’s time, right?” So we decided to go for it. We found a small factory, and they were producing for us.
It was an exciting time for us, and we were risking everything that we had. And then the showroom that was supposed to take our collection said, “Oh, sorry, but no.” So then we thought ok, well, now are we going to kill ourselves? No! We’re going to prepare a price list, photograph it, get everything in a truck, and drive to Paris for a little trade show.
Dan: And from there it just started bit by bit to grow, taking small, steady steps.
MR: Was there a specific moment at which point you realized things were going super well?
Dean: Working with Madonna was a big kick for us.
Dan: The opening of our first Flagship Store in Milan was a big kick for us.
Dean: You’re feeling established and feeling more like you’ve got your feet on the ground, your foundation is getting built. And then we kept building and building and building. We didn’t have some explosive moment—it was step by step, which I think is a very positive thing because it gives you lasting power. You know, 30 years. Some people, they come into fashion, they explode, and then they’re gone.
Dsquared2 & Vaquera Collaboration – Dsquared2 30th Anniversary FW25 Co-ed show
Amelia Gray – Dsquared2 30th Anniversary FW25 Co-ed show
MR: Did you know it was always going to be the two of you, or did you ever think you might do your own things?
Dan & Dean: That was a no-brainer. We grew up together and even worked as waiters together. We always knew.
MR: How has working as twins affected your creative process?
Dan: Well, there are shortcuts. We can just be direct with each other. He understands me. I understand him. We can probably communicate even without walking.
MR: What are the different strengths you find between the two of you?
Dan: I’m a little bit more grounded, and if I have to say it…
Dean: Responsible.
Dan: And he’s a bit more out there—let’s be creative, let’s be risky, let’s push buttons. And I think that’s a really good balance between the two of us.
Dsquared2 & Vaquera Collaboration – Dsquared2 30th Anniversary FW25 Co-ed show
MR: DSQUARED2 has a big cultural mix. You’re from Canada, trained in New York City, and then “found yourselves” in Italy.
Dean: Also, Italian ancestry, half Italian and half English. We found a place in Milan. And we were being produced in Milan, selling in Milan. So we wanted to come out as an Italian brand.
Dan: I think the clothes are a nod to several things.
MR: Camp aesthetics are becoming more prominent in fashion, but this has always been a big part of your brand. Can you speak about that?
Dean: Again, I think it’s a balancing act. You have to know the line, how to go far but not too far.
Dan: We’re not very sensitive to the wording…
Dean: But I think “cheeky, camp.” We have a lot of irony and have a sense of humor in what we do. We have a North American point of view, and it’s kind of funny sometimes. But really, we’re designers.
Dan: We enjoy making people feel good, not saving any lives. We’re show people. We love big spectacles.
MR: DSQUARED2 shows are special—you never quite know what you’re gonna get.
Dan: What’s most beautiful for us is that the models and people, it feels like they’re not working. They’re into their characters, they’re having a good time.
Dean: We’re also telling a story, and it’s a message that comes across in the clothes and in the sound—it’s a real production.
Dsquared2 & Magliano Collaboration – Dsquared2 30th Anniversary FW25 Co-ed show
MR: Is there anything in fashion that shocks you?
Dean: Shocks, no. But I do still get excited, you know? We still have our job. I think that’s the thing.
Dan: We still love what we do.
Dean: And I think now that we have history, that’s exciting too, looking at 30 years of experience and heritage. That’s also exciting because we have a lot of past, and it’s great to look into that and feel inspired by that for the future.
MR: After 30 years, is there any new direction towards which you want to branch out?
Dean: Well, we’ve realized that we are a brand, not just a label. We are a brand, and it’s good to venture into new things. I mean, there’s a lot of talk about hospitality.
Dan: We love interiors…
Dean: So that could definitely be somewhere that’s actually a thing.
Dsquared2 & Bettter Collaboration – Dsquared2 30th Anniversary FW25 Co-ed show
NLE Choppa – Dsquared2 30th Anniversary FW25 Co-ed show
Portrait by Giampaolo Sgura
Images courtesy of Dsquared2
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