MEAN GIRLS: A WARDROBE MALFUNCTION
Published on THE MANOR
Words & Graphic by Evan Skovronsky
View piece here 


The y2k designer Dsquared2 has recently come out with their Fall/Winter 23/24 Menswear collection, and I have some mixed feelings. We have seen many brands in the past couple of seasons that were at their peak in the early 2000s emerged from denim on denim and lowrise rubble. Diesel as one of them who put themselves back on the map with their Fall 2022 Ready-To-Wear by combining their house rules and history with new modernity. Dsquared2, on the other hand, kept their house rules and history but instead combined it with the young fashion generation’s love for irony. Choices.

The show opens with a well-known TikToker getting ready for the day in his bedroom straight out of some bad boy 2000s hit movie. He stomps down the runway, and the show begins. I’ll save my opinion on TikTokers’ walking for “high fashion” brands without training or technique for another day. The next 52 looks, which strikingly resemble Galliano A/W 2004, consist of chaps, little bow details, Paris Hilton-style baby tees, Canadian tuxedos, cowboy attire, and tails. While the collection’s materials and construction were beautiful, some pieces looked like they could be bought at a gas station next to a roadside tourist trap. 

In 2023, this show regurgitates the “ugly is the new hot” YouTuber fever dream without any hint of longevity. These outfits are fun for a photo shoot or maybe a night or two out, but within the next five years, we’re going to be fishing whale tail pants and “I love beer” hats out of the bins. Although fashion is supposed to be fun and expressive, digging too far into trends just allows more room for waste.

For pros,  the show featured a lot of well-made-looking jackets, one of my favorites being the denim fringe jacket with flannel sleeves. My favorite look of the show is this denim and fur jacket look. It’s exactly what I think of when I imagine y2k. There was a clear message being portrayed and evident ties throughout the entire collection. Besides this, everything else felt like a Tik Tok bait, leaning into the fashion trend of irony, which is ironic and laughable. You may want it, but no one needs a tube sock arm warmer or a literal baby tee. Dsquared2 did what they did best (y2k), but it was nothing new or exciting. It’s the same style from 20 years ago marketed for chronically online 19-year-olds. It’s fashion clickbait.