The clothing brand Dsquared2 was going viral before the concept of virality existed. Founded 30 years ago in 1995 by twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten, the brand has always had a canny understanding of how to create moments that transcend the runway and seep into pop culture. Consider their 2003 show, where the set was transformed into a private jet’s landing strip and Naomi Campbell stormed down the runway to AC/DC’s “Back in Black.” Or in 2004, where Christina Aguilera closed the brand’s bachelor party-themed show in a strappy leather mini-dress, pulling a model’s shorts down on her exit. These interventions – merging fashion, music and celebrity – became unforgettable water-cooler conversation points and a kind of manifesto in action: gleeful, willfully perverse theatre that punctured the maudlin self-seriousness that plagues the fashion calendar. In their hands, the runway has become a mechanic’s garage, a makeover machine, a porn set, but always a stage, where theatricality is not the opposite of depth but its own fabulous kind of truth. “When we were growing up, we would sneak into [Jean Paul] Gaultier and [Thierry] Mugler shows, and think, this is what we want to do,” the brothers tell TANK over coffee in Milan earlier this summer. “But then fashion shows got so boring and flat. Creating a show should be like telling a story – a situation, a sound, a look.” 

Dsquared2’s 30th anniversary extravaganza, in February of this year, had all three. The set was inspired by legendary 1980s discotheque Paradise Garage, “where the cool, Studio 54 afterparty people – the uptown girls, the celebrities, the models – would jump downtown with the gays to this underground sound”. The result was a smorgasbord of theatrics: a peak-of-her-powers Doechii opening the show; Amelia Gray shimmering in a nude, Bob Mackie-inspired bodysuit. There was also actor Brigitte Nielsen in drag king-dominatrix regalia, slapping cuffs on Dean and Dan and leading them down the runway. This being Dsquared2 there was Naomi, in a giant afro wig and thigh-highs. “We told Naomi, ‘The last show we did together is still viral on TikTok. You need to top it. It’s a challenge for you.’ She was on it! She said, ‘I will’, and she did.” It takes courage to tell the notoriously tempestuous Naomi to work harder; only the irreverent Catens could get away with it. 

The theatrics never got in the way of the clothes, which remain cheeky and sexy. This was a greatest hits tour of their heritage: sharply tailored suits, louche oversized silhouettes, a resurrection of their iconic “Skate Boot”. It was only once the press release came out post-show that the audience understood that included within the looks were three collaboration capsules with zeitgeist brands – Magliano, BETTTER and Vaquera. When asked why now, Dan answered, “Nobody was nice to us when we were younger, but we’re fully established now. It’s fun to celebrate new, emerging cool talents.” 

On a visit to the Vaquera studio in New York, they were struck with nostalgia: “It was just like us twenty years ago – young and lighthearted, not caring, you know?”

Collaborating with maverick romanticist Luca Magliano meant leaning into his brand’s signature bawdy humour, best epitomised by a chunky belt shouting “DICK.” “[Luca] is adorable. He reminds us of ourselves, his sense of humour and irony.” Elsewhere, garments made with the upcycling brand BETTTER were constructed entirely from Dsquared2 stock and were recently worn by Beyoncé during her Cowboy Carter tour. “Julie Pelipas from BETTTER… she was just beyond. I think she’s one of the coolest girls we know. She’s elegant, so chic and really relaxed.” As the anniversary show marked a full circle moment for the brand, the Catens are looking to the future inheritors of their more-is-more sensibility. On a visit to the Vaquera studio in New York, they were struck with nostalgia: “It was just like us twenty years ago – young and lighthearted, not caring, you know?” 

If the transition of Dsquared2 from a provocative Milanese storefront to a multi-million dollar global and independent business has diluted their liberationist message, it certainly doesn’t show. What keeps the brand at the centre of the fashion conversation is its understanding of the machinations of camp: that even bawdiness has its own delicate codes, ethics and aesthetics. Who else could send pornstar Rocco Siffredi down the runway wearing a T-shirt bearing the slogan “Very Important Penis”, and somehow make this gesture both outrageous and touching? “You realise after 30 years that we are not just a brand, we also hold a heritage, we have a story, and that’s a lot to be proud of.” Their continued success proves that theatre is not a distraction from the serious business of fashion, but one of its most honest forms of expression. In a culture that is emerging from the beige trappings of quiet luxury, Dean and Dan continue to make the case that fashion can and should shout from the rafters. .

From top left to bottom right, Dean Caten, Brigitte Nielsen and Dan Caten for Dsquared2 A/W 2025. Naomi Campbell for Dsquared2 A/W 2025. Doechii for Dsquared2 A/W 2025. Beyoncé in Dsquared2 A/W 2025