Dsquared2, brought to you by twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten, kicked off Milan Fashion Week on Tuesday, February 25, in true hedonistic style. The Canadian-born, Italian-descended designers celebrated 30 years of the brand with a sexy, high-energy production, and setting the scene for Dsquared2’s FW25 show: it’s the ‘70s, you’re in New York, and there’s a party in town.
Outside Dsquared Bros Co, a line snakes around the block, filled with glamorous misfits, rockstars, and disco queens and there’s a disco soundtrack that transports the crowd to the golden era of Studio 54. Making a grand entrance was rap superstar Doechii who emerged from an armoured tank full of dollar bills, setting the tone for a star-studded lineup, and the models followed, Tyson Beckford, Isabeli Fontana, Irina Shayk, Amelia Gray, Alex Consani, Alton Mason, Victor Perez, Bach, and NLE Choppa, who arrived in yellow cabs, trucks, and sexy sports cars to start their walk.
The chaps were in chaps, setting the tone for a collection where a disco-infused cowboy aesthetic prevailed. Think low-slung leather bootcut pants, side fringed jeans, and naughty crotchless jeans. Outerwear was equally flashy with gold bombers, cow-print waistcoats, and retro-vibing shearling coats, and can it be topped off? In true Caten style, more-is-more, thanks to layered leather belts wrapped around the torso (why have one when you can have six?), trucker caps, cowboy hats, and huge diamante belts. The themes continued thought to the footwear that featured thigh-highs, cowboy boots and disco platforms for the boys. For the women, skin was on display, with audacious open-front-and-side-dresses, disco-ball inspired sequin frocks, plenty of low-riding distressed denim, and a barely-there Y2K take on a tuxedo.
Iconic outfits of the decade were reimagined too with an iteration of Grace Jones and a purple sequin dress with a fur-trimmed hood, a white three-piece suit that nods to Bianca Jagger, Disco Inferno tailoring, and KISS crystal emblazoned vests and painted faces (channelling their Alive! tour and its merch of 1975).
As the night/show ended, in a dramatic finale, Naomi Campbell emerged from the warehouse as the NYPD rolled up, and out stepped sexy cop Brigitte Nielsen playfully arresting the Catens—only for them to break free and start an afterparty with performances by Doechii and JT.
