Roberto Cavalli: The Legacy of a Fashion Visionary
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Roberto Cavalli passed away at the age of 83 last week in Florence after a long illness. From his beginnings in the 1970s to today, he never stopped exploring the link between nature and sensuality with a certain flair for spectacle and grandeur.
The fashion world bids a final farewell to the designer who dressed Naomi Campbell, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Kim Kardashian, JLO, and even Taylor Swift this year.
A proponent of maximalism, Roberto Cavalli was also passionate in his personal life. Indeed, at 83, he was a young father… of a one-year-old boy.
The King of Panther is no more, but fashion will always remember him.
His Audacity
Beyond his bold creations that seek sensuality and power in the women he dressed, Roberto Cavalli succeeded in his career largely due to one trait of his personality: his audacity. Let me explain. Let’s go back in time, the young Roberto is in his twenties and already loved to wander through Italian social parties. The Florentine, full of fashion dreams, meets a stylist at a party.
The stylist then offers to show him his creations, and Roberto Cavalli showcases his work for the first time. The revolutionary process invented by the young man to imprint designs on leather was a success, marking the launch of his career.
He chose to come to Paris, where he worked for Hermès and Pierre Cardin, and at 30, presented his first ready-to-wear collection.
His Love for Nature
Before becoming passionate about animal prints, Roberto Cavalli was first and foremost a lover of nature. Amazed by the colorful richness of animals and wildlife, he decided, as he put it so well, to “copy God because God is truly the best stylist.”
Among his prints, there is the leopard, of course, but also the zebra, cheetah, snake, and tiger.
Besides animals, Roberto Cavalli also worked with floral prints and plants such as palm trees.
His love for nature also stems from his family heritage. He became interested early on in photography, painting, and travel.
He must have been happy to see his favorite print, leopard, make a comeback.
Roberto Cavalli and His Embraced Bling-bling Side
What we can say is that he had a flair for all things bling-bling. In 1972, as Saint Tropez -previously a small fishing village- began to become The place to be for jet-setters, Roberto Cavalli opened his first boutique there. It was also at this time that he dressed Brigitte Bardot in his famous leopard print.
Passionate about cigars, Ferraris, and glamorous parties (yes, it’s a bit cliché), Roberto Cavalli won the favor of the biggest stars and other designers. Giorgio Armani even paid tribute to him in a post expressing his admiration: “I cannot imagine a vision of fashion further from my own than Roberto Cavalli’s, and yet I have always had great respect for him: Roberto was a true artist, wild and wonderful in his use of prints, capable of transforming fantasy into seductive clothing.”
The one who was sometimes called “The King of the Bling” had a motto: “try to make life as unboring as possible,” and what we can say is that he succeeded!
His Love for Women
You cannot talk about his Italian exuberance without mentioning the women in his life. And let’s be honest, there were quite a few. Between his muses like Christina Aguilera in the 2000s and his notable appearances with Heidi Klum, Victoria Beckham, and Cindy Crawford, one could say he was well surrounded.
His personal life was equally impressive. A father of six children from three different women, he had been in a relationship with Swedish model Sandra Nilson since 2014.
We conclude with a few of his pieces to shop right now on Modalova.
Cavalli also included the JustCavalli line, which is more affordable and aimed at a slightly younger audience. After all, for Roberto Cavalli, youth is in the mind!
Shop the Cavalli Look on Modalova
- For Women
- For Men
Image in the spotlight: Roberto Cavalli
