Dsquared2 Pre-Fall 2022 Menswear Collection

The tag #elevatorselfies is hugely popular on Instagram; there are even sites offering vademecums on how to get your best angle when you ‘travel’ in the privacy of a full-mirrored, well-lit lift, complete with suggestions for appropriate captions. The elevator selfie trend appeals to Dean and Dan Caten, who are always quick to pick up on social media undercurrents.

Their pre-fall Dsquared2 collection was shot in an elevator mock-up, and every pic was quoted Twitter-style. So, was it intended as a slightly ironic commentary on our social media obsessions? “Airport elevators, hotel elevators—they’re just metaphors for the desire to hit the road again. Our boys and girls are travelers, globetrotters. They’re finally out of their closet and back on the planet.”

Dsquared2 wanderers aren’t prone to traveling light. They stuff their suitcases with a grungy, vintage-y, beyond-the-elevator wardrobe, and style it with accurate nonchalance. A marvel of transformable construction in the shape of an oversize jacket might be paired with a sexy sequined pencil skirt or with an equally virtuosic pair of lived-in denim pants quilted and needle-punched with bandana-printed cotton.

Great outerwear is a Caten forte and they offered lots of covetable pieces here, inflected with what they call “a Canadian vibe: easy, chilled, relaxed.” Oversized sheepskin hoodies had a ’70s flavor; leather field jackets were given contrasting nylon puffer sleeves; and swirl-patterned, roomy anoraks looked cool. Knitwear was chunky, tactile, and crafty, with a bohemian, worn-in look; it was layered liberally under or over embellished and patched waistcoats, sleeveless vests, and faded denim pieces. Luxurious as it actually was, the collection exuded the individual, found-pieces vibe favored by young audiences.

‘Shameless selfies’ notwithstanding, the designers’ attitude seems more nuanced (shall we say romantic?) of late; they indulge less in their trademark sass and flamboyance. But don’t be fooled. After the long pandemic diet of Zooms and virtual presentations, they’re eager to take to the runway again, and dust off their plumage. Next season they’ll be showing IRL at Milan Fashion Week: “We cannot wait,” they said. It’s hard to resist the Catens’ high spirits.