Just over a month ago, Doechii won the Grammy for Best Rap Album with her third mixtape “Alligator Bites Never Heal.” With tears welling her eyes, she got on stage to accept her award and gave a speech that inspired Black girls across the country. Not only was her speech a trending topic across social media platforms, but some even said she was one of the best dressed stars of the night. Doechii’s Grammy win solidified her in the music industry, and her dramatically-structured Thom Browne outfit may have solidified her in the fashion industry as well.
Twenty-three days later, Doechii exited a military tank on the runway with her hit song “Nissan Altima” playing through the loudspeakers. Recreating Naomi Campbell’s 2003 Dsquared2 appearance, Doechii ran halfway down the runway in 4 inch heels, then strutted down the rest of the runway. This was the opening to Dsquared2’s 2025 Milan Fashion Show, showcasing their Fall/Winter ready-to-wear collection.
Dsquared2 is a luxury fashion brand founded by Canadian brothers Dean and Dan Caten in 1995. Mostly known for their bold designs, the brand combines streetwear with high fashion, creating styles some call provocative, similar to that of Doechii’s style and music — thus making Dsquared2 the perfect brand for Doechii to make her debut into the fashion industry.
In Doechii’s 2025 video with Vogue “Inside Doechii’s Grammy Looks,” she discusses what inspires her sense of fashion as a female artist:
“In my studying of hip-hop, I observed an era where fashion shifted and became a vital part of hip-hop. And it was around the time where Jay-Z decided to put on a suit and take off jeans and make rap highly luxurious — I want to tell that story. That being a student of hip-hop — studying — brought me to where I am.”
From the late 1980s to early 2000s, hip hop experienced a shift. There was a combination of artists still sporting the streetwear style of fashion, while others such as Jay-Z were deciding to bring a sleek, clean look to red carpets. Both styles included luxury brands and both changed the trajectory of not only hip-hop, but fashion as well. Hip-hop became luxury fashion. Rappers became the muses for luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Tommy Hilfiger. Doechii studied that history, and she understood the intersection between the two avenues. She used the Grammys Red Carpet to showcase everything she’s learned through her studying.
Doechii’s stylist, Sam Woolf, got most of his inspiration from Browne’s Fall 2018 collection. He then worked directly with Browne’s team to create three custom looks specifically for Doechii. The musician has always been stylish, but her and Woolf’s dedication and attention to detail has made her a force to be reckoned with — a force that Dsquared2 wanted to open and close their 30th Anniversary runway showcase.
Dsquared2’s Spring ‘25 collection took to a Milan theater to curate a show embodying the essence of an exciting New York warehouse party. The clothes showcased everything the brand stands for: fun, provocative, and rebellious. Iconic pieces like their iconic “Skate Moss” boots worn by Doechii in her performance, paired with original sensual pieces reminded everyone of why Dsquared2 has been revolutionary in the fashion industry. A brand breaking barriers, similar to Doechii breaking barriers in the music industry. When someone is constantly trying to place you in a box, you either conform or continue to walk to the beat of your own drum. Doechii and the Caten twins decide to walk to the beat of their own drum. For these creatives there is unspoken knowledge that although their art may not be for everybody…it is for somebody.