Dsquared2 will embark on a concerted foray into the men’s tailored clothing and furnishings market next year, with a new offering under the Dsquared2 Classic label that will be available at retail in May. The line is more competitively priced than the core Dsquared2 collection and is designed to capture a more classic customer than the brand’s main line, which is known for its edgy, rock ’n’ roll vibe.
“We have our customer for the weekend and fun times, but guys need to wear suits also,” said Dan Caten, founder and creative director of Dsquared2, along with his twin brother, Dean. “This is definitely our biggest push into tailoring. We could open a new kind of men’s wear customer — maybe a store like Harry Rosen — with this collection.”
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Caten said Dsquared2 Classic comprises about 30 percent of the brand’s total spring offering.
The first collection under the Dsquared2 Classic label includes seven suit styles and two tuxedos, in addition to shirts, ties, knits, outerwear, leather goods, cuff links and pocket squares. Suits in the line will retail for $1,300 to $2,100, compared to $1,500 to $2,200 for suits in the main collection. Furnishings and accessories under the Classic label will carry similarly sharper price points in relation to the core collection.
“We really worked on the prices to be competitive. They are not inexpensive, but they’re fair,” said Caten of the line, which is made in Italy by Staff International, which holds the long-term license for Dsquared2. Staff International is a division of Renzo Rosso’s Only the Brave holding company.
The suit styles are named for cities, such as Toronto, London and New York, with each cut for a different silhouette and body type. Some styles feature softer, unconstructed shoulders while others are more formal and rigid. “London is the shortest in length, with three buttons, and is for a shorter guy like myself,” explained Caten. “The Toronto is longer and has an easier fit, for maybe a guy who isn’t totally in shape.”
The Dsquared2 Classic line will be available in Dsquared2 retail stores, on dsquared2.com and at key wholesale accounts. The company is targeting its top partners such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Nordstrom, Holt Renfrew, Selfridges, Isetan and Galeries Lafayette.
Dsquared2 and its local partners currently operate 12 freestanding stores, including a new store in Monte Carlo that bowed on Nov. 12. Additional units will open in Shanghai in December and Beijing in March. Total sales for the Dsquared2 brand this year, including all licenses, will be about 130 million euros, or $176.5 million at current exchange, according to the company.
In September, the Caten brothers signed a new 17-year contract with Staff International, going through the spring 2027 collection. The contract calls for the opening of flagship Dsquared2 stores in New York, Los Angeles, Paris, London and Tokyo over the next three years.
Apart from Dsquared, Staff International’s licensed brand portfolio encompasses Maison Martin Margiela, Marc Jacobs Men, Viktor & Rolf, Vivienne Westwood Red Label and Vivienne Westwood Man.