Snakeskin and tiger skin – “Animals Prints” were Roberto Cavalli’s trademarks. In general, the Italian had a penchant for ostentation and exotic patterns. Now the designer has died.
Animal fur patterns and exotic looks were considered Roberto Cavalli’s trademarks. The Italian fashion designer became world famous, particularly with the so-called “animal prints”. His clothes with unusual patterns graced the jet set throughout his career spanning more than half a century. With his penchant for bright colors, erotic cuts and also for leather and fur, he made a name for himself in the fashion world. The Italian died on Friday at the age of 83 after a long illness.
“It is with great sadness that we say our final farewell to our founder today,” said an Instagram post from the fashion house Roberto Cavalli. Cavalli’s legacy will live on through his creativity, his love of nature and his family. “Rest in peace, you will be missed and loved by so many, your name will live on, a beacon of inspiration to others and especially to me,” wrote Creative Director, Fausto Puglisi.
The Italian news agency Ansa reported that Cavalli had been ill for some time. His health had deteriorated in the past few days and he had now died surrounded by his immediate family.
In addition to his Swedish partner Sandra Bergman Nilsson, with whom he lived for around 15 years, this includes his six children. Almost a year ago, Bergman Nilsson and Cavalli had another child. The fashion designer was married several times.
Armani pays respect
The international fashion world is also mourning the loss of one of its most famous faces. “Roberto Cavalli was a true artist, wild and wonderful in his use of prints, able to transform the imagination into seductive clothing,” wrote star designer Giorgio Armani on the online platform X (formerly Twitter).
He couldn’t imagine a vision of fashion that was further from his own than Roberto’s. Nevertheless, Armani always had enormous respect for his artistic work.
“Of course my clothes were never vulgar”
Unlike many of his colleagues, Cavalli, who rarely went without his sunglasses, dared to try out flashy, eccentric and erotic patterns and cuts. His critics found his fashion too ordinary and vulgar. Showiness shaped his style: whether snakeskin and tiger skin patterns or glittering bling-bling – that was Roberto Cavalli.
Cavalli explained his love for animal prints this way: “I copy an animal’s dress because I love copying God. I think God is the most fantastic designer.”
He reacted calmly to the criticism. “My clothes were of course never vulgar. It depends on how you wear them. If a woman has vulgar in her head, the dress can also look vulgar,” he once said in an interview a few years ago.
The now deceased fashion designer was born in Florence in 1940. He was interested in fashion from an early age. Art and creativity played a big role in his family. His grandfather Giuseppe Rossi belonged to the Macchiaioli group of painters, whose pictures adorn the Uffizi Gallery.
Brigitte Bardot was one of the first customers
The Italian lost his father Giorgio as a child. He was a surveyor and was shot as a civilian in 1944 as part of a revenge attack by the German Wehrmacht. He then grew up with his mother in poor conditions.
At the age of 17, Cavalli enrolled at the art institute in his hometown. At 30, he presented his first ready-to-wear collection. The Italian opened his first boutique in 1972 in Saint-Tropez, southern France. One of his first customers there was the actress Brigitte Bardot. After that, he also managed to attract the attention of the international jet set.
Only temporary outsiders
However, he experienced the 1980s as an outsider to haute couture. His flashy creations did not fit the fashion that was in vogue at the time. But he made a comeback in the 1990s. He broadened his range, launched a jeans label, men’s lines and children’s collections, shoes, accessories and swimwear.
The series “Just Cavalli” in particular was popular with stars again. Singers Shakira and Victoria Beckham wore his clothes. After the turn of the millennium, he further commercialized his brand and opened numerous boutiques and stores.
In 2007 he designed the outfits for the Spice Girls and presented a collection for a wide audience in collaboration with the Swedish brand H&M. About ten years ago, however, his company ran into stormy waters. In 2016, Cavalli sold the company to a financial investor.
Source: Stern
I am an author and journalist who has worked in the entertainment industry for over a decade. I currently work as a news editor at a major news website, and my focus is on covering the latest trends in entertainment. I also write occasional pieces for other outlets, and have authored two books about the entertainment industry.
