Dsquared2 F/W26 : Snow, sequins & serious attitude
- Camz
- Jan 18
- 2 min read
A staircase straight out of a winter fantasy
A frosty staircase rising in the middle of a snow covered forest set the tone for Dsquared2’s fall runway. Subtlety was clearly not invited. This theatrical entrance nodded quite openly to the Winter Olympics soon to take place between Milan and Cortina, while also winking at the cult favorite Heated Rivalry series. Fiction met fashion when Hudson Williams, one of the saga’s protagonists, stepped onto the runway to open the show. Because why not add a little fan fiction to fashion week.
Winter sports have always been part of Dean and Dan Caten’s visual DNA, deeply intertwined with their Canadian roots. This season, those references were not whispered. They were shouted through snow, sparkle, and unapologetic excess.
Oversized volumes and iced illusions
Exaggeration was the main character. Puffer jackets came in outrageously oversized proportions, either color blocked for maximum impact or drenched in crystals that caught the light like freshly fallen snow under stadium spotlights. Denim took on an almost frozen appearance thanks to transparent sequins, giving the impression that the fabric itself had been iced over mid runway.
Nothing here was about practicality. It was about drama, temperature optional.
Vintage ski nostalgia with a glam twist
The spirit of seventies ski culture ran through the collection, reinterpreted with a knowing smile. Intarsia knit jumpers and zipped cardigans featured skiers, snowboarders, and gold medals, stitched in like trophies from an alternate fashion Olympics. These pieces balanced nostalgia with a tongue in cheek flamboyance that felt deliberately over the top.
Maxi fur coats and plush shearlings leaned fully into après ski fantasy, the kind that assumes champagne is involved and the cold is merely theoretical. Meanwhile, padded nylon overpants and squared toe hybrid ski boots brought in Dsquared2’s signature cowboy undertones, because apparently the Alps and the Wild West coexist just fine in the Caten universe.
Womenswear between sport and couture
For womenswear, the Caten brothers approached technical and sports references through a more couture driven lens. Oversized duvet jackets and bombers were adorned with dramatic maxi bows and oversized fur collars, pushing functionality firmly into theatrical territory.
Corsets and minidresses were constructed from dismantled jacket components, as if outerwear had been taken apart and reassembled with couture intentions. It was sporty, yes, but filtered through a distinctly Dsquared2 sense of glamour that refuses to play it safe.
A futuristic finale on ice
The finale pushed the concept even further. Ski suits were reimagined in latex, giving them a slick, futuristic sheen. The effect was heightened by ski boots transformed into sculptural, heel less designs with a cyberpunk edge. Less slope ready, more post apocalyptic alpine fantasy.
Main colors of the collection:
Conclusion
Dsquared2’s fall collection was loud, icy, and unapologetically theatrical. It celebrated winter sports not as a functional necessity, but as a full blown aesthetic fantasy. Between oversized puffers, glittering denim, cowboy ski boots, and latex suits, Dean and Dan Caten reminded everyone that subtle references are overrated. Sometimes, fashion is better when it arrives down a frozen staircase, wearing sequins, and fully aware that it is doing the absolute most.
ALL THE LOOKS:
VIDEO OF THE SHOW:
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