Dsquared²: How Two Brothers From Toronto Built a Milan Fashion House — And What to Check Before You Buy

Here's something that surprises most people: one of Milan's best-known fashion houses was built by two identical twins from Toronto, who grew up nowhere near Italian fashion at all.

From Toronto to Milan

Dean and Dan Caten were born in Toronto and studied briefly at Parsons in New York before returning to Canada to work as junior designers. It wasn't until they moved to Milan in the early 1990s, taking design jobs at Versace and Diesel to learn the industry from the inside, that the pieces came together. With financial backing from Diesel founder Renzo Rosso, they launched their own label in the mid-1990s.

What made Dsquared² distinctive from day one was the mix: Italian tailoring precision, filtered through an American denim-and-streetwear attitude. It's part of why the brand became known for bold, maximalist collections that don't try to whisper. In 2025, the label celebrated more than three decades in business, still led by the same two founders.

What You Will Find at Aulæ

Our Dsquared² selection changes as pieces arrive and sell, so the collection page always shows what's available now. Every piece comes with a certificate of authenticity, and prices typically sit below boutique retail.

What to Check Before You Buy

Because denim is such a core part of the brand's identity, a few checks here are specific to that category.

Denim stitching and wash consistency. Genuine pieces show even contrast stitching with no loose threads, and a wash treatment that's consistent across the whole garment. Patchy or uneven fading is a common replica shortcut.

The leather patch. Most Dsquared² denim carries a leather or leather-effect patch on the back waistband, cleanly embossed with the brand logo. Shallow, blurry or slightly misaligned embossing is a reliable warning sign.

Rivets and hardware. Buttons and rivets should carry crisp, correctly proportioned branding, with a consistent metal finish and real weight to them.

The woven label. Inside the garment, the label should be cleanly woven with precise, evenly spaced lettering, not printed or glued.

For fit, compare your measurements with our size guide rather than relying on the number on the label: cuts can change from one season to the next, even within the same house.

This level of care isn't excessive: counterfeit clothing costs the legitimate EU fashion industry close to €12 billion a year in lost sales.

The Price Reality

Dsquared² is widely stocked by multi-brand retailers, so reduced pieces are easy to find through legitimate channels. A realistic discount typically sits between 30% and 50% off current retail. A far steeper one on a current-season piece deserves an explanation.

If you want to know more about a specific piece before buying, write to us.

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