Posts Tagged ‘Dean and Dan Caten’
DSQUARED2 — The Only Math I Understand
Taste is something that you are born with, but every future fashion leader could take a few tips from the international superstar designers, Dean and Dan Caten.
On September 11th, the masterminds behind DSQUARED2 returned home to Toronto to discuss with Jeannie Beker and Ryerson Fashion students just how to turn that impeccable sense of style into a career.
Even after a late night out at Brooklyn, I braved the 8a.m subway traffic and subjected myself to a labour intensive set up for the event so that I could secure a place in the front row. If you haven’t already noticed, I’m your resident fashion school nerd, but it was worth it — I was sitting close enough to Dean and Dan to see the stitching on their crisp white shirts.
The Caten brothers were introduced to us by a video created by Fashion Television to commemorate them as world renowned Canadian talent. Beginning their careers at the age of 19 the design duo promoted their first fashion show by parading a caped model down Queen St. It certainly caught the attention of Fashion Television, and the brothers presented their first ‘Dean and Dan’ collection in a show the likes of which had never been seen by Canadians.
After working as successful designers for Ports International, Dean and Dan decided to pick up and make the move to Milan to start their own collection. As they explained, Toronto is a great launching pad, but in order to become a fashion mogul, relocating to one of the fashion capitals is a crucial step.
Today, DSQUARED2 has become a globally recognized brand. They have dressed the greatest pop idols of our time including Rihanna, Britney and Madonna.
The Caten’s always had the taste needed to become stars, but it was the risks they took that made them so internationally successful. As Jeannie said, there are three types of people in this world — the dreamers, the doers and those that are both. Dean and Dan are certainly a combination of the two, and we can all take a lesson from their drive to live their dreams.