The Catens blended rap culture swagger and ‘80s pop references with religious iconography via a profusion of crosses, rosaries, gilded saints — and a lot of bare skin.

Dean and Dan Caten have never been the type of designers who like to go unnoticed. They might have forgone their usual runway extravaganza this season, opting instead for more intimate showroom appointments, but the duo still sent out their fashion message loudly by plastering their headquarters with scaled-up look book imagery of their bold spring 2027 collection.

Continuing the exploration of Italian tropes introduced in their resort range, this time the Catens winked to Sicily and heavily leaned on religious iconography while imagining a rebellious young romance à-la-Baz Luhrmann’s “Romeo + Juliet.”

The designers found their Leonardo DiCaprio in Italian rapper Promessa, who fronted the images and embodied the tough main character of what was overall an unbalanced collection, stronger in men’s than women’s.

Overall, their blend of rap culture swagger and ‘80s pop references was conveyed via a profusion of crosses, rosaries, gilded saints — and a lot of bare skin — in a collection that played with perceptions in cheekily turning the inside out to create new provocative takes on the Catens’ beloved hybrid pieces.

Tailoring in loose proportions was cut to reveal the lining underneath; inner waistbands found their way outside, revisiting the belt construction of sartorial pants; the insides of blazer jackets was turned into a flashy, cross-shaped motif on a shirt, while underwear peeked from low-rise baggy pants.

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