DSquared2’s Fall 2010 Campaign Goes Minimalist

It’s quite interesting that in spite of all of our fascinations with the art of putting clothes on and the various methods of keeping them on that we are so much more fascinated with the art of seeing them come off. Perhaps it is a statement to the role of art in our lives; our main purpose as animals is to follow those impulses that we are born with and art, whether it be visual, interior design, creative writing, photography, fashion design, or poetry is the greatest means of humans to try to deny those impulses and cast them away. Unfortunately, art is often the medium where those impulses are most visible, as seen in the gratuitous nudity inside DSquared2s latest ad campaign. But I can’t seem to shake off this persistent sentiment of “Where have I seen this before?”…No doubt Dolce and Gabbana has already mastered the art of the photographic “closed sculpture”, a work where the characters inside the work interact with each other but do not interact with the viewer. DSquared2 apparently has chosen to get in on this method, and this is not to be irreverent to the great collections that Dan and Dean Caten have produced but this time I was severely underwhelmed. Honestly I can’t quite figure out why the designer duo chose to take on a minimalist approach for this season but I don’t think it’s their greatest campaign. The poses of the models and the garments displayed fail to compensate for the egregiously sterile and lackluster setting. DSquared2’s aesthetic is usually one of more vibrancy and edginess and this campaign just seemed to be suited for a collection of a more subdued aesthetic, similar to that of Chanel or perhaps Tom Ford’s usual close-up ad campaigns which would help his garments become a great focal point. Last year’s campaign was more interesting, an amalgamation of the glamour and smart stylishness of DSquared2 into a monochrome masterpiece. Also, the campaign feels too much like a Dolce and Gabbana ad knockoff from their Fall 2007 campaign. Perhaps Dan and Dean were just a bit out of their league with this one. Hopefully their Spring campaign won’t make the same mistake or else there will be bigger problems.