Canadian twins Dean and Dan Caten, founders, designers and owners of label Dsquared2, have opened their first flagship store in downtown Rome - their 40th boutique worldwide.
The 398-square-meter store, which was inaugurated on Monday
in Via del Babuino, will showcase the collections of a label
described by the Catens as "linked to music and pop icons" with
a keen eye on "detail and craftsmanship".
Born in Ontario to a family of Italian descent - the
siblings' paternal family name was originally Catenacci and
their grandfather came from the town of Frosinone, near Rome -
the duo have just inaugurated another big store in London, where
they live.
The store is in Savile Row, the iconic road where all of
London's top tailors are based, while the designers and
entrepreneurs plan to open other boutiques in Paris, Istanbul,
Madrid and Las Vegas by the end of the year.
They have also designed the uniform the Canadian team will
be wearing at the inauguration ceremony of the Rio 2016 Olympic
and Paralympic Games.
Both brothers graduated from the Parson's School of Design
in New York in 1983 and started working in Italy in 1991.
After collaborating with a number of top brands, the duo
debuted their first men's wear collection in 1995.
Throughout the years, their unique combination of Italian
craftsmanship and attention to detail was central to the brand's
evolution with increasingly transgressive collections inspired
by the world of music.
And a number of pop stars have donned Dsquared2 for their
videos or concerts, including Lenny Kravitz, Justin Timberlake,
Ricky Martin, Nelly Furtado, Simon Webbe, Robbie Williams,
Rihanna, Fergie, Britney Spears, Laura Pausini and Beyoncé, to
cite a few.
The first to wear the brand was Madonna in the video "Don't
tell me" and in the subsequent "Drowned World Tour 2001" the pop
star asked the Caten brothers to design 150 outfits for herself
and her dancers.
The ensuing notoriety given by Madonna to the brand
contributed to the success of the first women's fall-winter
2003-2004 collection, which was preceded by nine women's wear
outings during the spring-summer 2003-2004 men's wear
presentation.
Christina Aguilera also renewed her image thanks to the
label during the "Stripped World Tour 2003", as did Laura
Pausini on June 3, 2007, for the only Italian concert of her
world tour.
In September 2007, a 19-year-old Rihanna debuted on the
catwalk of the Dsquared spring-summer 2008 show, walking to the
beat of her worldwide hit "Umbrella", wearing a slip dress.
Meanwhile, pop star Fergie released a video of "Clumsy"
starring her and the twins in an imaginary Dsquared2 fashion
show.
In 2009, the duo also cooperated with Britney Spears for
her world tour "The circus starring Britney spears", which
kicked off on March 3 in New Orleans, designing the costumes for
the first segment of the concert - for the singer and dancers -
inspired by circus performers.
Other artists have chosen Dsquared2 for their tours,
including Tokyo hotel in 2010 and Michael Bublé in 2013.
In 2016, the designers made the leather jacket with
military details worn by Beyoncé during her Super Bowl 50
performance, and a Victoriana look for the star and her dancers
for the opening of the Formation World Tour in Miami.
Finally, among the many prizes won by the designers, Dean
and Dan Caten will be given a career achievement award on June
12 at the Taormina Film festival.
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