With a twist on trashy Y2K fashion, Dsquared2 has emerged with its Fall 2023 ready-to-wear collection. Digging through your average indie teenager’s cropped mall-printed tees and star accented pieces, twin-duo Dean and Dan Caten gathered seemingly unfitting pieces and created an impressive array of looks. Who could have known merging western fringe and oversized belt clasps with peeking lingerie would be a pleasure to witness down the runway?
The set, surrounded by posters and teenage decorum, alludes to the physical coverings clinging to each models’ body. Tik Tok influencer Kyle Thomas opened up the show, sprawling a Pac-Man comforter set complimented with a pair of pink and black boots to make his way down. Shortly after, Nic Kaufmann and Jean Carlo León, also known as Jashlem, modeled unbuttoned pants and tiara baseball caps, respectively.
The Caten twins could quite frankly pick any stereotypical high-school fashion trope, mix them and still end with success. From the pennylane coats to the chinos, they display an ingenious, excited and wearable confidence.
“We’re looking back to look forward, thinking of what we’ve done in the past, and the energy of the Dsquared2 rebels,” the twin duo told Vogue.
Two decades after establishing Dsquared2, the twins are not only tapping into their contemporary audience, but remixing established trends by utilizing them in ways unimaginable. Their deconstructed looks work flawlessly with one another, from unbuttoned onesies to the doubled belts that add depth and detail to the look.
Their use of clashing patterns, however, does not stray far from their pre-established pattern used in more recent collections, more notably their latest ready-to-wear Spring 2023 collection. The twins enjoy the disassembling of pieces and subsequently layering items one would not usually think of. They constantly find ways to mix various flannel stripes and vibrant lace materials.
Both designers have always had a knack for pushing against the socially-acceptable and bringing new life to a mix of styles not only across the board of niche sub-cultures, but across gendered fashion as well.
“We’re celebrating what we were already pushing a long time ago — being yourself, being individual, and the freedom of feeling comfortable in your own skin. No judgment,” the twins further explained.
Not only do they dabble in the exchange of stylistic elements from stereotypical jocks, geeks and emo individuals, but they swap typically-gendered clothing on their own models. This brings a stronger appeal to this generation — the acceptance of androgynous styles. The Caten twins are taking a step forward to accepting men dressed in typically-women’s clothing and vice versa — yet going backwards when it comes to where they pull their ideas for their clothing.
The collection has excited plenty of fashion enthusiasts and left many eager to see what the brand has to offer. As of now, Dsquared2 has launched their official pre-orders for their latest Fall 2023 collection. Stay tuned to see what clashes of colors and textures the brand has in store.
Lexis Pham is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at lexisp@uci.edu.
