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Dean and Dan Caten | |
|---|---|
 Dean and Dan Caten | |
| Born | Dean and Dan Catenacci (1964-12-19)December 19, 1964 (age 60) |
| Occupation(s) | Founders, owners and creative directors of Dsquared² |
| Label | Dsquared² |
| Awards |
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| Website | Dsquared² official website |
Dean and Dan Caten (néeCatenacci; born December 19, 1964) areCanadian fashion designers, radio personalities, and businessmen. They areidentical twin brothers and the founders and owners ofDsquared², an Italian luxuryfashion house based inMilan.[1]
Dean and Dan Caten were born in 1964 inToronto,Ontario and grew up inWillowdale. They have seven older siblings. Their father is fromCasalvieri, a small town inCiociaria,Lazio, Italy.[2] Their mother was from England. In 1983, they moved to New York to study fashion atParsons 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 (currentlyPorts 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 toMilan, Italy where they worked as designers for the house ofGianni Versace, and denim brandDiesel, 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]
The Dsquared² is an Italian brand and was launched in 1995.[5]
In 2000–01, Madonna commissioned the brothers to design over 150 pieces for herDrowned World Tour 2001 and "Don't Tell Me" music video.[5]
A runway show in 2005 ended withChristina Aguilera stripping male models of their clothes.[4] In September 2007, the Dsquared² fashion show in Milan featuredRihanna entering the stage in an Americanmuscle car, followed by a runway walk.[6] In January 2010, the Dsquared² Autumn/Winter 2010 menswear show in Milan featuredBill Kaulitz descending from the ceiling in a caged elevator à laRocky Horror Picture Show.[7]Bill Kaulitz opened and closed the Dsquared² Autumn/Winter 2010 menswear show in Milan.[citation needed]
In June 2007, the first Dsquared² flagship was opened inMilan's fashion district. Stores also opened inSt. Moritz,Athens,Mykonos,Capri,Istanbul,Kyiv,Cannes,Singapore,Paris,Nicosia andHong Kong. In March 2015, Dsquared² opened their first flagship store inLondon. This is the first stage of their major store redesign programme that will continue into the US at the end of 2015.[8][9] More recent Dsquared² store openings have includedMiami,Doha,Los Angeles,New York,Baku,Rome,Istanbul,Prague andMadrid.[10]
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]
The brothers stage elaborate fashion shows to showcase their men's and women's apparel,footwear,fragrances, andcosmetics.[12] The brand's slogan is "Born in Canada, living in London, made in Italy".
Their designs have been worn byBritney Spears (2009 world tourThe Circus Starring Britney Spears andTokio Hotel's Welcome to Humanoid City tour),Madonna,Tokio Hotel's lead singerBill Kaulitz,Justin Timberlake,Kendrick Lamar,Ricky Martin,Nicolas Cage,Lenny Kravitz,Fergie in the music video "Clumsy"[13] andThe Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling".[14]
The Caten brothers host their own radio program calledDean and Dan on Air: Style in Stereo. The show began airing onSirius XM satellite radio'sBPM channel and features a variety of music (including soundtracks from select Dsquared² runway shows), along with celebrity interviews, fashion and political discussions.
The twins have worked on side projects; they have appeared onAmerica's Next Top Model and co-hosted their own show,Launch My Line.[1]
In 2006, the brothers were selected to design the new official uniforms for football teamJuventus. In March 2008, the Catens signed an agreement to design sunglasses with Marcolin, an Italian sunglasses and eyeglasses manufacturer.[12] In May 11, 2021 they signed an agreement with Safilo Group S.p.A.
Chris Brown wore a Dsquared² hoodie in his video for his 2017 song "To My Bed".[15]
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.[16]
Following the unveiling of its "DSquaw" line at the 2015Milan 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 andCanadian indigenous decorations and attire in the fashion line itself, calling it a "misappropriation".[17] All instances of "DSquaw" were later taken down from official Dsquared² media and marketing channels.