Dean and Dan Caten, the Canadian-born duo behind powerhouse fashion brand Dsquared², have dressed some of the world’s biggest pop stars. Their fashion shows are known for pushing the envelope, and their clothes have been described using words like “naughty, campy” and “va-va-voom sex appeal,” but if you ask these identical twins, they refer to their aesthetic as “a taste of home, where the Canadian woods meet Italian design.”

They often draw inspiration from home and interior design, and create entire environments through fashion shows to provide context for each collection. A western themed collection was inspired by barns and ranches, and the clothes themselves were presented at a hoedown-themed fashion show complete with a windmill and a live horse. Dan describes another favorite show of his where the models descended from a pink private jet.

“We are telling a story when we do a show,” Dan says, “The clothes need to belong in their place. The music, the runway all have to take you on a trip and tell you a story. The fashion in its environment. It makes it complete. It’s a better story, and it’s more fun for us and interesting for the audience.”

While the shows manage not to detract from Dsquared²’s clothing, they see a natural convergence between fashion and home interiors. Time will tell if the pair expand an already thriving fashion brand into a line for the home, but in the meantime the fashion shows will continue to excite and inspire.

Dsquared² designers Dean and Dan Caten, the only pair of Canadian identical twins to helm an Italian fashion house, hail from Ontario, Canada. In 1994, they launched a men’s line at a Paris trade show and have been growing ever since. The brothers opened their flagship store in Milan in 2007, and subsequently launched locations in Capri, Kiev, Istanbul, and Hong Kong. Today, Dsquared² also includes accessories, footwear, and the men’s and women’s fragrances He Wood and She Wood.