MILAN – Dean and Dan Caten are taking complete control of the Dsquared2 fashion brand they founded in 1995.
The Dsquared2 Group said Saturday that it was terminating the licensing agreement with Staff International SpA ahead of its expiration date in 2027, effective immediately and starting with the pre-spring 2026 sales campaign.
Staff International is the manufacturing arm of OTB, which comprises the Diesel, Jil Sander, Maison Margiela, Marni and Viktor & Rolf brands, as well as the Brave Kid childrenswear producer. OTB also has a stake in Amiri. The first agreement with Dsquared2 for the production and distribution of the brand’s ready-to-wear was inked in 2000.
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However, Staff International is not taking this lying down and, in a statement, said “it has filed a lawsuit on 27th March in the Court of Milan against Grascoe Holdings Limited, Dsquared2 Trademarks Limited and the designers Dean and Dan Caten, in order to assert its right to the full performance of the current license agreement, with all consequent measures.”
Staff International and Dsquared2 renewed their 10-year-old licensing agreement in 2010 through to 2027. At the time, the renewal was inked a year ahead of the expiration date.
Staff International said “it reiterates its conviction that the license agreement is fully effective and confirms its intention to fully execute it until its natural expiry. Therefore, the company firmly rejects any possibility of early termination of the contractual relationship, and believes that legal conditions for early termination do not exist.”
The Italian company “will continue to act with the utmost transparency and determination to protect its rights, honor its contractual commitments and safeguard its reputation, and reserves the right to take any further action.”
DSquared2 is marking its 30th anniversary this year, which was celebrated with a blowout anniversary show in Milan last month.
Over the years the Catens have drawn inspiration from their Canadian roots, mixing them with Italian tailoring and sexy party dresses, always injecting a playful undercurrent in their collections, abiding by the “work hard / play hard” motto.
They launched their first menswear collection in 1995 under the Dsquared2 label, dubbed “Homesick Canada Collection” for fall 1996, debuting their theatrical runway shows in Milan.
Their first womenswear collection bowed in 2003.