Fearless and unapologetic, exuberant Roberto Cavalli is the Italian fashion powerhouse who epitomizes the ultra-glamorous, jet-setting lifestyle of the stars. His innovative and revolutionary designs have made him a darling of the red carpet, favored by bold, attractive women worldwide. His unparalleled love of silk, leather, and adornments has established him as an icon in the world of luxury fashion. We at Dashe Beauty believe while his designs are dazzling, sensuous, and flamboyant, the man behind the brand is even larger than life.

Cavalli’s lifestyle and contributions to shape the global fashion trends

Cavalli is famous for melding the personal with the professional and the man with the brand. His decadent lifestyle features endless summers on maxi yachts, fast cars, private planes, champagne fountains, and gold-encrusted everything. This opulent lifestyle carries over to his brand, and millions of people flock for a taste of that luxury, over-the-top experience.

The image is only complete with a celebrity or two, and Cavalli’s relationship with A-listers from the entertainment world is legendary. It’s not summer without paparazzi shots of Cavalli entertaining various celebrities — from the Beckhams to Mariah Carey — on his 140-foot yacht moored in the glittering marinas of Cannes and Saint-Tropez.

Cavalli’s designs are erotic, bold, and confident, and his philosophy extends well beyond fashion. In this designer guide, we focus on the European designer and explore how he came to be one of the most influential fashion forces on the planet.

The beginning and the rise of Roberto Cavalli’s legacy

Joining the Academy of Art in Florence in the late 1950s, Cavalli’s potential was apparent from an early stage. He first drew attention to himself with his artistic use of applying paint to textiles in a new and inventive way. His series of flower prints on knits caught the eye of major Italian hosiery companies. From there, he continued to cultivate new ideas that would see him stand out as a pioneer in the fashion world.

Cavalli began to hit his stride in the late 1960s. Reworking glove skin from a French tannery, he invented a groundbreaking method of printing on leather and creating patchworks of different materials called intarsia, which echoed the work of his artist grandfather. In 1970, Cavalli made his revolutionary runway debut at the Salon du Prêt-à-Porter in Paris, featuring swimsuits and dyed leather evening gowns, including a standout number in pink.

The collection marked a turning point for Cavalli. His flamboyant Italian style caught on, and having patented his leather print technique, design houses including Hermès and Pierre Cardin began to pay commissions to use his printing system for some of their signature branded leather products. By 1997 Cavalli was in the fashion elite dressing and partying with the stars.

Cavalli and his new revolutionary denim cloths

By 1988, Cavalli was back in the headlines, making waves in terms of invention and design. This time, he became synonymous with a new fashion staple that would endure each passing season: his new palette of denim. It’s fair to say that Cavalli revolutionized denim not just in terms of printing techniques and inventing the first sandblasted jeans collections, but by giving denim a luxurious overhaul and a brand new silhouette. The world saw him in his truest form: a pioneer of fashion.

His fashion house soared to new heights in the new millennium, beginning in 2000 with Just Cavalli, a more ready-to-wear, youth-centric sportswear line. "Cavalli” has since expanded to include menswear, womenswear, beachwear, underwear, eyewear, watches, jewelry, perfumes, and other accessories. Additionally, there’s Angels and Devils, a children’s collection, as well as footwear, nightclubs, event spaces, and bespoke café stores in Florence, Torre Branca, and Via della Spiga that sport his signature red tones and zebra prints.

Women’s obsession with Cavalli’s ‘Leopard Print’ designed dress

Much like his grandpa, Cavalli claims to draw inspiration from nature for everything from reinventing nature to innovating leather and denim. He supported the "Wild: Fashion Untamed” exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in 2004. The event highlighted his fixation with animal designs and skins, a style that his brand has subsequently come to be associated with.

His most recent creations celebrate nature in all its splendor — wild, enchanting, and daring. This is the Cavalli mentality, exhibited in eye-catching ready-to-wear lines and runway shows that combine the allure of his distinct style with the simplicity of nature’s canvas. When asked about the surge in animal prints in recent years, Cavalli explains, "I started to appreciate that even fish have a fantastic colored dress, as do the snake and the tiger. I started to understand that God is really the best designer, so I started to copy God.”

Cavalli and the natural world are both exotic, untamable, and beautiful, a fitting symbolism for a brand aesthetic that is equally fierce and pure in spirit. The social media revolution, influencers, and the meteoric rise of online shopping have all contributed to Cavalli’s resurgence. He remains ever-present at fashion week, with his latest line, "Skins,” launching in Milan. The installation at the city’s MUDEC museum features 60s-inspired animal print mashups on tissue-thin dresses, short suits, blazers, and embossed suits, all paired with block-heeled lace-up boots. It’s modern, bold, and wearable day or night, with that touch of over-the-top flair that remains Cavalli’s signature.

Conclusion

Cavalli has done it all, from launching his men’s wear and youth lines to leading the way in women’s wear and denim. There’s an unparalleled energy that rushes from Cavalli’s fingertips and is stitched onto the label of his collections, bringing an upbeat glamour to modern fashion.

He even had the boast of designing a limited-edition animal print Diet Coke bottle. As he sits atop a multi-industry empire with an estimated worth of over one billion dollars, we are left thinking: what’s next for Cavalli? Get more inspiration by visiting our website https://dashebeauty.com or follow up on our beauty blog. — Dashe Beauty Kuwait