Backstage Before the Show With Dsquared²’s Dan Caten

As Dsquared² approaches its 20th anniversary, it’s apparent that Dean and Dan Caten are enjoying the success of the brand they built. On the eve of their Spring/Summer 2015 runway show, the Dsquared² studio in Milan is not a frantic madhouse of last-minute fittings and collection edits. In the large room in the refurbished warehouse where the brand (and the restaurant/nightclub they own) is based, racks of clothing organized into looks line the walls, shoes are in a neat row on the floor, bags and accessories are laid out neatly on tables. Dan Caten seems relaxed. He’s enjoying a cup of tea and a croissant. The soundtrack for tomorrow’s show is playing on the sound system, a mix he and his brother created that starts with a line from the film Factory Girl. Things are surprisingly calm. Not the scene you’d expect less than twenty-four hours away from the show. But Dsquared² isn’t quite like other brands. They don’t quite fit in with their fashion cohorts in Milan, but that’s fine with them. They like it that way. We caught up with Dan (with an appearance from Dean) to chat about the new collection, the scene in Milan, and the brand’s global expansion.

Can you tell me a bit about the inspiration for the new collection?

It’s the art world. It’s the studio—the New York studio. References from Andy Warhol, Basquiat, Keith Haring, Stephen Sprouse. So it starts in the sixties and the early Andy days, and then it kind of evolves through to the 1980s.

When you say “studio,” do you imagine these as the guys who work in the studio as artists?

Well, it’s just to put them in a place. We kind of said, “OK, they’re living in a New York loft and maybe he’s a painter or maybe it’s his art studio.” Andy’s Factory or whatever.

But more casual than a gallery.

Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it’s dirty and messy. It’s got skylights and it’s got paint on the floor and lots of paintings everywhere. Yeah. A bit real.

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Your retail business is growing rapidly. What are your expansion plans for the stores?

We’re really pushing retail, especially in America. We’re opening three stores this year: our flagship in New York, which is in Soho; Los Angeles, we’re doing Rodeo Drive; and we’re doing one in Miami and Bal Harbour. They should be all up and running before December.

How many are there worldwide?

About thirty-two, I think now. But this is our first big push for America because we’re not in America at all. You’ll be seeing more of us in America soon.

What’s the importance of that for you?

Well, it’s a big market that doesn’t really know who we are or what our brand is about. It’s a weird thing because on our online store, the biggest customers are Americans, and it’s really weird. And that’s why we said, “Fuck, obviously we’re missing a market here because the biggest percentage of people who are buying online are Americans from Los Angeles.” It’s actually really good information—you understand a lot about your clients and what they want, and you can see what they’re buying. And actually, it’s what kind of gave us a kick in the ass to say, “OK, we better get on it.”

What cities are most interesting to you?

L.A. is where we have the most shoppers online, so that was one of the boosts for L.A. And then we got a really great space right beside Saint Laurent on Rodeo Drive—it’s actually going to be really cool. And it’s interesting because we’re kind of modifying our concepts for the stores, so as we’re maturing, the concepts are kind of maturing—they’re getting a little lighter, a little cleaner. Keeping up to date, I think. And they’re nice. So all the American stores are going to have a kind of different look. We just opened a store also in Mykonos and in Porto Cervo, so those are our two summer stores, and they’re lighter as well and they’re nice.

Are there things you’ll do specifically for an American market?

We do a different buy for each store. I mean, L.A.’s different from New York. We will do special things because we’re doing special things for other boutiques. Like Mykonos—we did some swimwear and some bags and different stuff for those markets. So probably for sure, something in New York. It’s always cute when you get something that you can only get in New York or only get in L.A. It’s kind of novel.

Especially for your customers, who are probably loyal to your brand and they also travel.

We did a silly Mykonos boxer-short bathing suit. They had a hundred and they sold them all in, like, two months.

Everyone’s talking about Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong. Is the Asian market important to your business right now?

Yeah. We actually opened up a new store in Hong Kong. We have two stores in Hong Kong now. We opened a brand-new store in Shanghai which is beautiful. We actually closed at Shanghai fashion week because the government invited us there, so it was kind of a push to promote the brand in China. I think we have seven stores in China already now and we have three partners and we’re going strong to get more. We have a definite plan. It’s just good for us. Tokyo, we actually have two really nice big stores. China seems to be the place where everybody’s nesting.

Does the restaurant business continue to interest you guys? How’s that going?

It’s going really, really well. Really, really well. It’s kind of like a cool place to be. The food’s great, the ambience is great. It’s very different from here, and I think that’s why it’s working. It’s not so “Milan.” It’s got a really international flavor, and I think that’s what’s cool about it. And it’s also like you can go and be seen—it’s quite cozy the way we designed it, also. Everything’s kind of in a booth. You have your individual space, your area, but you can always see who’s walking through or who’s coming in, so it’s kind of got that scene thing, which we love. It’s kind of like a fashion show—you see everyone walk by. The chef’s great, our partner’s great We got a lot of requests to do them in other places, so we’ll see. Maybe in New York. That could be like another business.

Milan has a reputation for being a bit staid, and you guys are obviously known to have one of the more fun shows. Do you think Milan needs to get with it?

I kind of like standing out here. We don’t really fit in so well, and it’s kind of a plus for us. I think we give something different to this fashion. Everybody [does theirs] in their way, and we do ours our own way. We go to the left when they go to the right. I don’t know.

What do you guys love about Milan more generally?

It’s a great city. It’s a good fashion week, especially for men. I love it. It’s a little hometown-y sometimes because it’s not really a big city. That’s why we live in London and we just come here back and forth and it gives us a little bit of an escape. It’s good for work, it’s good for shows, and it’s good for selling.

Other than working, what are your other summer plans?

We go back to Canada on the 26th. We see family. Then we’ll go probably to Greece to go to a promotion for our Greek store and stay there for the summer.

Is going back to Canada a way to get away from fashion and decompress?

No, actually, it’s more work. We’re organizing a big Christmas dinner for our two hundred family members that we haven’t seen for, like, twenty years. Our grandparents used to do this for Christmas day—we’d all go to Grandma’s house and I’d meet my cousins, I’d meet everybody, and she died and no one does that anymore. So we kind of said, “Let’s do it. Let’s be the host and we’ll host you all.” So they’re all excited.

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Feminism in Fashion

Fashion has often been labelled the antithesis of gender equality. Increasingly, women are attacking each other for approaching feminism the 'wrong' way: for wanting to be a stay-at-home mother, for being too vocal or not vocal enough about gender issues, and, indeed, for how they look and dress. But is there only one fit of feminism?

Pehaps it’s more important how we think of ourselves and behave towards each other. Recently, an author wrote that she used to be made to think she wasn’t a real feminist because she liked frivolous things like lipsticks and heels. Gloria Steinem, labelled ‘the original’ feminist for redefining feminism to include men, was criticised for “playing on her looks”. Meanwhile, Michelle Obama, who has been a tireless advocate of women’s rights, has been accused of being a “feminist nightmare”. But the idea that being fashionable and sexy is incompatible with being a feminist is wrong. Feminism should not be about judgement and competition, but about maximising women’s choices and their freedom to pursue these choices.

Model Karen Elson, as a proud feminist herself, warns that, “If you assume that models [...] can’t have strong opinions and beliefs, you’re just falling prey to the popularly held misogynist view that beautiful women are stupid.” More than that, clothes have long had power to facilitate and accompany change. We need only to look at the suffragette movement, the famous flapper dresses and miniskirts that shocked the social order when they first came out, and the more recent Pussy Riot, who used their clothing as a way to send their message out, loud and clear.

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Liking fashion does not have to mean ignoring the problems that the industry poses for the feminist cause, through their promotion of a specific body shape (read: super skinny) or the fact that the whole industry exists to tell us how women should dress, while we are perfectly capable of making this choice ourselves.

Feminism and fashion are actually becoming increasingly interlinked. Frida Kahlo, the feminist Mexican artist, is the inspiration behind various SS’14 collections: richly embroidered gowns at Valentino and Dolce & Gabbana, tassels at Dries Van Noten and Oscar de la Renta, as well as a swathe of high street stores. We should move away from criticising lifestyles when gender inequality affects actual lives.

Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, commented that we are "facing a worldwide crisis of violence against women," in reaction to the killing spree by Elliott Rodgers in California last month. Many women die every day, around the world, because of FGM, because of imposed social barriers, because of domestic violence – stepping back, we can see how an interest in fashion is not an issue that should be prioritised in the feminist agenda.

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Olivier Theyskens Exiting Theory

Olivier Theyskens announced today that he is leaving Theory. Theyskens has been with the brand since 2010, when he designed a hit capsule collection, Theyskens' Theory. This past February, Theyskens showed his first Theory runway show after Theyskens Theory was discontinued. The Belgian-born designer made headlines when he first joined the company, bringing his dramatic, moody aesthetic to the minimalist, tailored, contemporary sportswear brand. “I am grateful for Olivier’s extraordinary contribution to Theory over the past three and a half years, and I am particularly excited to see what he does next. While he has already accomplished so much, I am confident in the power of his artistic skill and believe his future will be very bright,” Andrew Rosen, chief executive officer of Theory, told WWD. (image: formal dresses sydney) Theyskens said, “It has been an amazing opportunity to work with Andrew and to benefit from his knowledge in this dynamic segment of fashion. I will always cherish our friendship.” According to WWD, Theyskens plans to pursue other design projects. Pre-spring 2015 will be his final collection for Theory. Theyskens came to Theory from Nina Ricci, where he was artistic director for two years. Previously he helmed Rochas for four years as creative director, a post he took after designing his own namesake collection. Read More: red carpet dresses

Susquehanna Township High School grad heads to fashion school with backing from benefactor Katz

Two years ago, Luis Hernandez had little hope of attending college. Now, thanks to lessons in paying it forward from a dedicated teacher and the late philanthropist Lewis Katz, the Susquehanna Twp. High School graduating senior is heading to the nation's most prestigious fashion-industry school.

Hernandez, the son of Jose and Olivia Hernandez, was born in Mexico and has attended Susquehanna Twp. School District for most of his school career. He studied fashion design under designer Richard Andries in Susquehanna Twp. High School's School of the Arts.

His sophisticated creations wowed officials at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City and won his acceptance there. Through a connection made by Andries, Katz offered to pay his tuition.

Hernandez – voted best-dressed by his STHS classmates – said he always got good grades and had an interest in fashion, but by 10th grade, he "had no idea how to go to college" or become a designer.

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"In 10th grade, students start talking about college, but I felt really out of it," he said. "I had no direction. I wasn't motivated."

A friend who shared his interest in fashion convinced him to enroll in Susquehanna Twp. High School's new School of the Arts. By his senior year, Hernandez's portfolio of fashions – from a showstopping women's gown to a men's suit in black-and-white tiger stripes -- won a Gold Key in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards.

As part of a Gold Key exhibit, Hernandez exhibited his favorite design, a kimono-cape hybrid in black and gold, at the State Museum of Pennsylvania.

Andries, known for such designs as Pennsylvania First Lady Susan Corbett's inauguration ball gown, said he recognized a bit of himself in Hernandez, trying to overcome stigmas about men working as fashion designers.

Katz entered the picture, offering to pay Hernandez's tuition, when an Andries acquaintance forwarded a note about Hernandez to the businessman and philanthropist.

Katz grew up in modest circumstances, raised by his widowed mother in Camden, N.J. Four days before his May 31 death in a plane crash, he and a partner won a bidding war to buy the Philadelphia Inquirer.

After his death, Katz was remembered for his generosity to causes big and small, from a $25 million donation to Temple University to a Super Bowl trip for a coffee shop worker. At his memorial service, Gov. Tom Corbett cited Katz's support for Hernandez as an example of his generosity.

After Katz offered to pay Hernandez's tuition, the pair met during a trip the philanthropist made to Harrisburg. Entering the room where the meeting was held, Katz immediately asked, "Where's Luis?" Andries said that Katz told them he was paying forward a favor done for him, paying his tuition to Dickinson School of Law when he had no money.

"And that is the one thing he asked of Luis, that when you're there, you pay it forward," Andries said. "That's what we do. You pay it forward with whatever little that you have."

When Hernandez learned of Katz's death, "this young man never once was concerned about what was going to happen to him," Andries said.

"Not even a mention," he said. "He was heartbroken, because here was this man who hugged him. Loved him almost immediately."

Hernandez inspires his fashion school classmates by his focus and his quiet way of handling things, said Andries. Friend Nick Brown, a junior, said Hernandez told him to be the class leader next year.

"He told me I need to step up," said Brown, who also hopes to study at FIT or Parsons The New School for Design. "All around, he's a really good person to be with. He's very positive."

Andries is "convinced wholeheartedly" that Hernandez will succeed, especially because of a work ethic that has kept him at school many days until 6 p.m. to finish his creations.

In a group that includes four other seniors heading to college to study fashion, Hernandez won't admit to being an inspiration for his classmates, but he hopes he has set an example for "just working hard, and everything you hope for will come true."

One of his "biggest personal goals" is someday paying forward the generosity of Lewis Katz and the support he has received from Andries, his family, and others.

"I'm not really motivated by the money," he said. "If I keep working hard, I know it's going to take me to big places. Hopefully one day, I can say I'm in a good situation financially, and I can give back to those who helped me and those who need it, because years from now there might be another student who can't afford college or can't afford fabric, or can't afford class, and I can be there for them, because they're going to be the future."

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Why Fashion Designers Said No To Melissa McCarthy's Oscar Dress

According to Melissa McCarthy in the July issue of Redbook, "five or six" fashion designers turned her down when she wanted to hire them to make her Oscar dress. At the time, she was more than a guest at the world's biggest event, she was nominated as Best Supporting Actress for her role in the smash hit Bridesmaids. Instead of ferociously competing for the plum, publicity-rich red carpet job, they turned down the big bucks and big opportunity.

Why? Was it money? Were these designers minting so much moolah they could afford to say no? Salary reports the annual median salary of a fashion designer in Los Angeles is $51,325. The median hourly wage is $25 an hour. A fashion designer in New York City fares a bit better; the median annual salary is $55,197 and hourly a whopping $27.

Obviously, these figures don't apply to the crème de la haute like Versace and Chanel. Money wouldn't be the primary motivator for them. But what would be?

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Scuttlebutt has it that "brand" is the reason behind the big turndowns. The fear that dressing a plus-size woman, even one as beloved as McCarthy, would negatively affect their cherished brand identity.

This sorry excuse was no surprise to Chrystal Bougon, founder of the popularCurvyGirlinc and head of its thriving community. "I hear from plus-size women day in and day out begging to give their money to the various retailers where they shop. But often there is just nothing that doesn't look like your Grandma's old drapes."

"Since the average American woman is size 14, it seems crazy there aren't more options for the rest of us. We are the standard now," Bougon continues. "Sexy is NOT a size. All of us want to feel sexy and relevant."

Michelle Merritt, acclaimed career coach and recent speaker at the Body Love Conference, shares her insights: "While the media may have found Melissa McCarthy's struggle to find an Oscar gown shocking, plus-size women everywhere just nodded in solidarity when we heard the news. Any woman over a size 16 who has worked in the business world or attended a black tie event knows the struggle it is to find quality fashion to fit her body. Until recently the options were matronly, poorly made, or resembled a tent. It's only been in the last few years that designers like Michael Kors and Ralph Lauren have added a plus-size selection."

"When I go shopping, most of the time I'm disappointed."

"Trying to find stuff that's still fashion-forward in my size is damn near impossible," McCarthy told the Hollywood Reporter in 2011. "It's either for like a 98-year-old woman or a 14-year-old hooker, and there is nothing in the middle." Born out of frustration and disappointment, the kick-ass actress (who studied fashion design in college) is launching her own plus-size clothing line. More than filling this significant retail gap, we expect her new designs to be as beautifully bodacious as she is. It's not only size twos who should be allowed to express their unique personal style.

In the meantime, let's try to figure out which designers said NO to the feisty, fabulous Melissa. Add your guesses to the comments below.

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