Dean and Dan Caten (née Catenacci; born December 19, 1964) are Canadian fashion designers, radio personalities, and businessmen. They are identical twin brothers and the founders and owners of Dsquared², an Italian luxury fashion house based in Milan.[1]
Early life
Dean and Dan Caten were born in 1964 in Toronto, Ontario and grew up in Willowdale. They have seven older siblings. Their father is from Casalvieri, a small town in Ciociaria, Lazio, Italy.[2] In 1983, they moved to New York to study fashion at Parsons School of Design, but stayed for only one semester before returning to Toronto.
Finding a financial backer in 1986, they launched their first signature womenswear collection, DEanDAN. By 1988 they had signed on to label Ports International (currently Ports 1961)[3] as creative directors. At the same time, the Catens are designed for their lower-end, leisure brand, Tabi International. In 1991, the brothers moved to Milan, Italy where they worked as designers for the house of Gianni Versace, and denim brand Diesel, the latter of which funded and launched their namesake brand. They debuted their men's collection in 1994, and in 2003, they launched a women's collection and a men's underwear collection.[4]
Career
Dsquared²
The Dsquared² is an Italian brand & was launched in 1995.[5]
A runway show in 2005 ended with Christina Aguilera stripping male models of their clothes.[4] In September 2007, the Dsquared² fashion show in Milan featured Rihanna entering the stage in an American muscle car, followed by a runway walk.[6] In January 2010, the Dsquared² Autumn/Winter 2010 menswear show in Milan featured Bill Kaulitz descending from the ceiling in a caged elevator à la Rocky Horror Picture Show.[7]Bill Kaulitz opened and closed the Dsquared² Autumn/Winter 2010 menswear show in Milan.[citation needed]
In 2013, the Dsquared² brand had a brand turnover of about €200 million.[11] The brand generates most of its revenues through licensing deals.[5]
Dsquared² revealed its Fall 2024 collection at Milan Men’s Fashion Week. Pieces blended the vibrancy of the ’80s with the grounded feel of outdoor gear.[12]
The brothers stage elaborate fashion shows to showcase their men's and women's apparel, footwear, fragrances, and cosmetics.[13] The brand's slogan is "Born in Canada, living in London, made in Italy".
The Caten brothers host their own radio program called Dean and Dan on Air: Style in Stereo. The show began airing on Sirius XM satellite radio's BPM channel and features a variety of music (including soundtracks from select Dsquared² runway shows), along with celebrity interviews, fashion and political discussions.
In 2006, the brothers were selected to design the new official uniforms for football team Juventus. In March 2008, the Catens signed an agreement to design sunglasses with Marcolin, an Italian sunglasses and eyeglasses manufacturer.[13] In May 11, 2021 they signed an agreement with Safilo Group S.p.A.
Marketing
Chris Brown wore a Dsquared² hoodie in his video for his 2017 song "To My Bed".[16]
Controversy
The brothers attended the 2013 Hallowood "Disco Africa" fashion industry party in Milan in racially insensitive costumes. From the décolletage up they appeared as white drag queens with oversized blonde wigs, with their bodies painted brown and adorned in "tribal" costume.[17]
Following the unveiling of its "DSquaw" line at the 2015 Milan Fashion Week, critics expressed outrage at the fashion studio's use of the term "Squaw", a word which carries strongly racist connotations as a derogatory term for North American indigenous women. Critics furthermore pointed to the appropriation of Inuu and Canadian indigenous decorations and attire in the fashion line itself, calling it a "misappropriation".[18] All instances of "DSquaw" were later taken down from official Dsquared² media and marketing channels.
