Perfecting the art of the mashup has been on Dean and Dan Caten’s agenda for a few seasons. They enjoy the process, so they see no reason for a shift in strategy. As the saying goes, never change a winning team.
The Catens’ penchant for clubbing and partying is well known—in pre-Covid days dancing all night was surely among their favorite pastimes. Now they’re more focused on healthy activities, like strenuous exercise and running along the beach of their Cyprus home. And obviously they’re into surfing, the coolest sport there is, which the Catens see tinged with undertones of danger. They designed their resort collection to provide Dsquared2 customers with plenty of options, seamlessly crossing the line between wild nights spent under disco balls and dawns riding the waves. They called the lineup Dark Goth Surfers.
Surfing the swell of free-style maximalism, the twins offered a sort of layering masterclass, styling long lace dresses (for both guys and girls) over baggy board shorts and sleeveless XXXL sweats in faded, sun-bleached pastels, or pairing delicate crystal-mesh tabards with dapper evening tuxedo jackets and distressed jeans. Sunny psychedelic prints and tie-dyes had a romantic Cali vibe about them, and contrasted with oversized streetwear staples boasting feminine details. A masculine tailcoat was cut imaginatively from a black zippered neoprene scuba suit, while long rainbow-striped knits were layered under slouchy, retro smoking suits. Interchangeable pieces made for a wardrobe with lots of swapping potential; voluminous sleeveless varsity jackets, denim waistcoats, and tie-dyed sweats were proposed for both lines. The cartoonish snowboard high-tops were the same for all genders too. “Swap and share, some sort of boyfriend/girlfriend stealing,” said the Catens. “Who cares whether the pieces are his or hers, or hers and his?”
