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‘When I am designing, I can always see the woman: the positive, smiling, self-confident woman, who has the glamour in her veins, and controls her life. I love those women who are independent, free and have a strong will. A strong persona is the sexiest feature for me.’
The Italian fashion brand is characterised by splendour and detail, with a focus on handmade, often exaggerated embellishments, and a wealth of animal print motifs from glamour to gypsy style.
Cavalli’s work reflects a joy for life, sensuality, freedom, hedonism, confidence and the use of contrasts. His main attributes are snake pattern jewellery, crosses and appliqués.
Roberto Cavalli was born in Florence in 1940. As a young man, he learnt to be an artist and helped his mother, who was a dressmaker. His grandfather was an Impressionist painter, whose paintings can be still found in the Uffizi Gallery, and who influenced him to study fine art, which influenced his later designs. In the 1960s, he founded his own company under his own name, and his first collection was presented in 1972.
One of his artistic innovations was that we were the first to use artistic prints on leather materials.
In 1980, he married Eva Düringer, who was the winner of the Miss Universe contest in 1977. But Eva proved to be not only a wonderful mother but also a fantastic businesswoman who was Cavalli’s rational alter ego. The minimalist fashion trend of the 80s did not favour the brand, but his worn and stretch jeans of the 90s brought him worldwide success.
The most important fragrance lines of the popular fashion house are Roberto Cavalli Signature, the Paradiso family, evoking the Mediterranean dolce vita, and Florance, a fragrance line paying homage to the brand’s birthplace.
