1. 50 51
INTERVIEW INTERVIEW
24Hours with
Dsquared2Twin brothers Dean and Dan Caten definitely know
how to have fun in Milan. We’ve spent, exclusively,
a whole day with them, as they showed us their
favourite hot spots in the Italian capital of fashion.
12:50He’sastaranditseems
that he can’t get enough publicity. You can
easily tell, since his first action is to lick the
camera. Ciro, a genuine Neapolitan, is the
beloveddogofDean,andbyhangingaround
with his Hermes lead being all friendly and
cool to the photographer, you just feel that
he is used to being the center of everyone’s
attention.
We’reabouttohavelunchinTagurioTrattoria,
one of the twins’ favorite spots, situated near
theiroffice.Ithasnothingtodowithacosmic
hangout. “We come here quite often because
thefoodisgreat.Everythingishomemadeand
theyreallyloveus—theyevenletussmokein
here!”saysDean,whofurtivelyhasacigarette
beforeDanarrivesinhisconvertibleMercedes
jeep. They order various traditional dishes,
have champagne (with the cork ending in
between Ciro’s teeth), and at some point Neil
Barrettenters,who’salsoaregularthere.
“We too want to open a restaurant,” confides
Dan, “and I have an idea that no one has ever
thought of yet.” Before he gets into more
details,hisbrothernudgeshimsaying“You’ll
seeitwhenit’sdone.”Iwasthatclose!
14:20Walking around the
market with Ciro. “We adore walking and
the truth is we do miss it a bit here in Milan.”
The same way they miss the woods of
Canada,whichiswhytheirperfumeiscalled
“Wood” — according to them, it is a return
to their roots. They want the perfume to be
perennial, evoking a day in the forest, and of
course “HE WOOD” written on the bottle is
apun…andsois“SHEWOOD,”theirfemale
version.

2. 52 53
INTERVIEW INTERVIEW
15:46We stop at Kiehl’s, one of their
favorite cosmetics companies. They love its travel size
products, the body scrubs, the shave creams and —
according to them — the must have hair products. “Quite
soon we will of course have our own cosmetic products,”
they add. It’s easy to guess then that their collaboration
with MAC cosmetics is a first step towards that. Another
place they enjoy hanging around is Corso Como 10,
because it’s near Dean’s house, plus “one is allowed to
smoke there as well,” as they giggle. They also mention
their future cooperation with American Express, the
customers of which will enjoy special privileges. Ready
forD2shopping!
16:18The grey-haired antique owner is
very likeable and the objects around the shop are really
beautiful. Amongst others, a giraffe and an imposing
portrait of Andy Warhol in a golden frame. “The owner
travels all over the world and finds the finest things. We
digaroundandcomeupwithideasforourcollections…”
17:03Coffee time at the Chocolat, which
they find “very cute.” They order a refreshing cocktail
with yogurt, honey and cinnamon. They talk about
vacations, their effort to buy a house in Mykonos (they
haven’tsucceededyet)andthedreamtobuyanislandand
transform it into a spectacular à la Dsquared world, along
withaboutiquehotel“andstaythereforever,”saysDan.
18:25The metallic logo is in perfect
contrastwiththedominantwood.Untilrecently,therewas
akeyholethatwould“urge”acuriouspasserbyintolooking
through and observing the first flagship store of Dsquared
in the world. Now it is well open and quite successful! “We
ourselves spent a lot of time looking for the right place,”
they comment on their attempt. But where do they want to
expandnext?“RussiaisabigmarketandsoisItaly.”
19:49Aperitivo (aperitif) in Nobu, a
perfect place to go after work and when they’re feeling
sociable (which is almost always). “It is a place to
have evening fun”, they say, while they also strongly
recommend lounge-y Lotus for its great cocktails and
food. In general, the Milanese, usually go for early
drinks while almost all bars have excellent finger food to
accompany the drinks.
22:05Bulgari’s lush garden is simply
magical. Right in the heart of the city, it is a never-
known-before oasis of tranquility and of high class
design. “A while ago, we even discovered a magnificent
private garden a bit further back,” they mention while
recommending flavored Martinis. “Speaking about
private areas, there is also a great place in a cellar, that
few are aware of and it will remain private. They serve
you and then they leave you alone with your company in
a fantastic place where the waiter only comes if you ring
a bell. It’s perfect for seductions.” Thus revealing, with
hardly any details, that Milan has one more well-hidden
spot for celebrities.
00:14The famous Chandelier restaurant
withits“wonderful,theatricalinatmosphereanddecoration
monthly parties” (which they say are unique and take you
backtoalonggoneMilan)isoneoftheirfavoritenightspots.
Theycomplainthatthecityisn’tasitusedtobe,whenevery
nightapartywouldtakeplace;alsotheyadmitbeingfansof
housemusic.“TheonlydaywecangoouttilllateisSaturday,
since we hate having to wake up early next morning.” Their
favoriteplaceforclubbingisthelegendaryPlasticclub,which
remainsalternativewithvariouskindsofpeoplethatalways
haveonethingincommon:theyknowhowtoparty!
04:20The night should end with a bite
andthemodernclassic24-hourbakeryPrinciistheideal
placetogo.Whenlookingatit,itdoesn’tresembleabakery
at all; however with tasty Mediterranean specialties and
much else to offer, it is an ode to the art of flour. “Full of
cutefacesandwithanincredibledecoration,”theystress
while all of Milan’s night owls looking for carbohydrate
recharging march into the bakery.
“We too want to open a restaurant,” confides Dan,
“and I have an idea that no one has ever thought of yet.”