For resort 2024, Dean and Dan Caten built on their back-to-the-roots theme of the coed fall 2023 show last January, when a Y2K rewind of all the aesthetic codes Dsquared2 has been known for over the past two decades was displayed in full force.
During a walk-through of the duo’s latest effort, Dan Caten explained that over the years he and his twin brother sought inspiration from around the world or embraced seasonal themes, but decided to return to their core elements when realizing “we do best in what we really are.”
That means channeling sexiness and irreverence through style mash-ups, as their latest lineup further proved. Here, the duo clashed a seductive — at times trashy — aesthetic with sport references, glitz and a boyish vibe to deliver a “suburb chick” attitude, as Caten put it.
Denim came under many guises, from baggy and roomy pants juxtaposed with extremely cropped jackets; jeans with side openings or buttoning up on the side of the hip, as well as low-waist options further weighed down by chunky logo belts to let underwear peek out. Denim pants covered in cotton patches depicting Betty Boop also stood out, along with sparkly finishes here and there, ranging from sequined star-shaped motifs to bejeweled fringes swinging from washed jeans, denim jackets and miniskirts.
These flashy embellishments enhanced the glam and sexy appeal of the lineup, which hinged on plenty of in-your-face abs, super short hemlines and fitted volumes, as seen in pleated tartan miniskirts or a zippered ruched dress in faux leather styled with a chopped-off tank top. The theme veered in a cheeky direction with a pink baby-doll dress worn under a striped knitted cardigan; toward a more bon-ton appeal with classic tweed jackets, and took a decisive athletic turn with hybrid designs including sweatshirts with built-in corsets, and denim shorts mixed with joggers.
Nods to basketball, racing and boxing abounded, with highlights including a satin bomber with a retro flair, boxing shorts reinterpreted in a longer version, and jerseys worn as dresses. If there’s a girl who can do both the sexy and the sporty, that’s the Dsquared2 woman.
