Dsquared2 has terminated its licensing agreement with Staff International, the production and distribution arm of Diesel-owner OTB ahead of its expiration. Staff, which has licensed the Y2K denim brand through 2027, is suing to block the move.
Founded in 1995 by Canadian designer duo Dean and Dan Caten, Dsquared2 celebrated its 30th year in business with a Milan Fashion Week extravaganza last month. The brand has been produced and distributed by Staff International since 2000, with the parties renewing their licence in 2010 with an agreement running through 2027.
“Dsquared2 Group announces the immediate termination of its licensing agreement with Staff International S.p.A. Consequently, the group will assume direct control over the production and distribution of its ready-to-wear collections. This transition takes effect immediately and will commence with the upcoming pre-collection spring-summer 2026 sales campaign,” the brand said in a brief statement from Dublin, Ireland, where the trademark’s parent company is registered.
Dsquared2 did not say why it was seeking to exit the agreement, nor on what legal grounds it sought to terminate the arrangement early.
Staff International responded with a statement saying it had filed a lawsuit in the Court of Milan against the brand, its holding company and the Caten brothers “to assert its right to the full performance of the current licence agreement, with all consequent measures.”
“Staff International reiterates its conviction that the licence agreement is fully effective and confirms its intention to fully execute it until its natural expiry,” Staff said. “The company firmly rejects any possibility of early termination of the contractual relationship, and believes that legal conditions for early termination do not exist.”
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A transitional show at Gucci, a debut at Alberta Ferretti and a 30th anniversary outing at DSquared2 kicked off the first day of Milan Fashion Week.
