Kicking off proceedings with a Magic Mike-inspired performance which saw shirtless dancers appear in hovering clear boxes and hit the stage for a sex-charged number complete with grinding hips, shredded abs and rising temperatures – this season’s Dsquared2 show was about to begin. As the pulsing beat of Usher’s 2014 hit Good Kisser echoed around the 19th-century opera house Teatro Lirico, Dean and Dan Caten set the tone for a characteristically kinky SS25 offering. Building on the notion of duality explored in last season’s FW24 show of identical twins and Polly Pocket makeover machine, the duo continued their foray into the dichotomy of elegance and edge, softness and strength, day and night. Building a wardrobe for artists, athletes, and aesthetes saw a mash-up of subcultures and one of the brand’s most eclectic collections to-date.

Latex, leather and chiffon formed the core of this season as the lines between hard and soft blurred on revealing pieces and skin-tight silhouettes. Black bondage harnesses strapped beneath suiting or sheer shirting, leather-coated drainpipe jeans were spliced and shredded from hip to ankle, and denim ensembles peeled away into sculptural latex. Angular-shouldered blazers were paired with voluminous pleated pants in an ode to 80s office workwear alongside metallic leather co-ords, biker jackets and studded creepers, highlighting the duality of Dsquared2’s man. Skin has always been the design duo’s hottest accessory and this season followed suit, as touches of athleticism began to creep in – ‘Team Cantenacci’ narrowly cut wrestling leotards left little to the imagination and championship belts were carried over models’ shoulders.

Sex appeal was also felt in the womenswear, as hemlines continued to rise higher with thigh-skimming mini skirts and shoe laces coiling up the body. Underwear was worn as outerwear, mesh bralettes were exposed in flashes of bejewelled neon, harnesses were worn under mesh dresses and form-fitting denim was paired with lacy babydoll tops. Closing out the first day of Milan Fashion Week, dancers returned to the stage for the finale as models paraded the runway, leaving guests with the imparting lyrics of Blue Man Group’s I Feel Love – “Oh, it’s so good.”