Dsquared2

Dsquared2 brought winter sport swagger and pop-cultural bravado to Milan Fashion Week with a Fall/Winter 26/27 menswear collection that felt like a celebration of speed, cold-weather fantasy, and unapologetic energy — all filtered through the brand’s signature Canadian-born irreverence and theatrical vernacular.

From the very first look, designers Dean and Dan Caten turned the runway into a snow-sculpted alpine fantasy, a nod to the upcoming Winter Olympics that served as both context and catalyst for the collection’s aesthetic. Models emerged like rebels at the top of a frosty peak, clad in oversized puffers, voluminous parkas, and ski-inspired layers that married technical performance with runway hyperbole.

The mood was bold and unabashed: hockey jerseys emblazoned with maple leaves, graphic knitwear depicting skiers and snowboarders, and appliquéd gold-medal motifs brought vintage winter sport references into a contemporary, urban context. Denim — even treated with transparent sequins to evoke an “iced” effect — and padded nylon overpants bridged the gap between avant-garde statement and after-ski couture.

Exaggeration was the name of the game. Snowboarders’ attitude met Western bravado in fur-trimmed coats and chunky leather trousers, while oversized puffers were bedazzled or pushed to architectural extremes — sculpture-like in scale and texture. Big, squared-toe ski boots and racing-bib knits read as armour against both Alpine chill and sartorial conformity, capturing Dsquared2’s belief that protection is attitude, not just utility.

The show also carried a sort of camp energy that balanced visceral grit with glam rock sensibility. Sequinned denim and crystal-embellished outerwear glinted like frost under harsh floodlights, giving the collection an Après-Ski couture feel — where mountain survival gear becomes performance costume and fashion narrative.

Casting amplified this vibe: Hudson Williams, fresh from a breakout television role, opened the show in a distressed denim bomber and oversized ski boots. This moment fused sports mythology with runway magnetism, underscoring the show’s cultural reach. His presence — and that of other high-profile guests — turned fashion into spectacle and pop moment, not just seasonal style.

In a Milan season defined by retreats into the past, resilience in uncertain times, and reworking of heritage codes across the menswear landscape, Dsquared2’s FW26/27 menswear stood out for its joyful audacity and narrative confidence — a high-altitude collision of fantasy, identity, and unapologetic winter glamour.