Dsquared2 to present co-ed fashion shows from 2017

The founders behind designer brand "Dsquared2" have announced they will be merging their men's and women's collection presentations together from now on, with both lines to be unveiled at a co-ed fashion show during Milan Men's Fashion Week.

Dsquared2 designers, Canadian-born twins Dean and Dan Caten, said the "brand is committed to innovate the traditional fashion industry calendar schedule by going co-ed" in a press statement. The announcement came following their last showing during Milan fall Fashion week this past Sunday. The duo will henceforth be showing a co-ed collection during the Milan Men's week in January.

The designer team said that the decision to present the collections "will further connect the 'Dsquared2' man to the 'Dsquared2' woman; which often share common creative inspirations."

They added: "The fashion system itself needs to be as fluid and modern as the changes that it perpetrates on the runway. We're ready for a new approach, and it's one that comes naturally to us, because we always design the 'Dsquared2' man with the 'Dsquared2' woman in mind and vice versa."

Dsquared2's choice of presenting womenswear together with menswear follows highly specific sales criteria: "Nowadays, when women's collections hit the stores, they are almost immediately discounted - explained the designers - by doing this, we can instead ensure they have a longer commercial life." 

At the same time, the move will also reduce the line's work. Currently, between pre, main and show collections, the two designers are working on 10 collections a year. By producing a single show, they will combine the women's main and show collections, as they already do with menswear.

Dean and Dan Caten are ready to change their shows, but not their commercial approach: "'See now, buy now'? Forget it!", said the twins, explaining how taking the collections straight from runway to store would be counter-productive, as it risks smothering the yearning to buy, which instead needs to be fostered over time.