Collection: DSQUARED2

DSQUARED2 was started by identical twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten – the double D’s that make the brand’s name. Italian-by-way-of-Canada, they were born and raised in Toronto by their English mother and Italian father. It would be this mix of cultures that would inspire the twin’s desire to return to their motherland and later come to define their brand motto, even if their dad shortened his original family name of Catenacci to Caten just to fit in. The youngest of nine children, their siblings also left an indelible impact on the young impressionable twins – they were the disco queens, rock’n’rollers and hippies who would influence and inspire their worldview.

One thing must be made clear, the brothers do everything together. The longest they’ve been separated is just six months. Today, they still live together in a house in Notting Hill where they share a bedroom, except that is when one of them has a special guest over.

The Caten duo would go on to study together at New York’s prestigious Parsons School for Design, dropping out after one semester. Even still, they realised the fashion industry was where they belonged. Returning home to Toronto, they got their first jobs together as junior assistants at Ports International 1961, where they would eventually become joint head designers. It’s here, where under the guidance of a mentor, they would learn the art of cut and sew, refining the skillset and gaining the self-belief that would propel them to the top of the fashion world in the future.