MILAN, February 24, 2006 – The red carpet set atop a grass runway said it all about Dean and Dan Caten's Dsquared show: a camped-up collision of huntin' and shootin' clothes and hoity-toity formalwear. The cheerful play on gamekeeper checks, mackintoshes, and tartan that came at the beginning of their escapade produced some good shrunken jackets, vests, and plaid shirts, which were cleverly mated with tuxedos, bow ties, and jeans. But the momentum proved hard to maintain. After a Mountie trotted by in a teeny red puffer and jodhpurs, it fell to Angela Lindvall to keep a straight face while wearing a sporran on a Black Watch coat-dress.

By that point, the Catens were knee-deep into their country-house ballwear, and the joke was flagging. Most of their satin dresses and crystal-beaded knits looked like rehashes of things Dolce & Gabbana did years ago. It was an odd detour, because what actually keeps audiences coming here is the spirited, sexy stuff the Dsquared duo does with jeans and streetwear. Sure enough, denim did make an appearance in the form of cropped, vaguely jodhpur-ish pants. Good-looking though these were, they first appeared on their runway a few seasons ago, so there was a sense of waiting for the next installment. It never materialized. Could the Caten boys please put their heads together, quit fooling around so much, and get on with their next real surprise?

– Sarah Mower