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Roberto Cavalli is an Italian fashion designer who has been in the industry for over five decades. He is known for his bold and flamboyant designs that often feature animal prints, bright colors, and luxurious fabrics. Cavalli's designs are often seen on celebrities and have been featured in numerous fashion magazines.
Cavalli was born in Florence, Italy, in 1940. He grew up in a family of artists, and his love for art and design was evident from a young age. After completing his studies at the Academy of Art in Florence, he began working for a textile manufacturer. In the 1960s, Cavalli began designing his own clothing and accessories, which he sold to boutiques in Italy.
In the early 1970s, Cavalli invented and patented a printing process on leather and started creating patchworks of different materials. He debuted these techniques in Paris, immediately winning commissions from the likes of Hermès and Pierre Cardin. At age 32, he presented his first namesake collection at the Salon for Prêt-à-Porter in Paris. He brought it to the catwalks of the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and later his Milano Collezioni featured jeans made of printed denim, intarsia leathers, brocade, and wild-animal prints.
In 1972, he opened his first boutique in Saint-Tropez. In Milan in 1994, Cavalli presented the first sand-blasted jeans. By December of the same year, he had opened boutiques in Saint Barth, in the French Caribbean, followed by others in Venice and Saint-Tropez. Besides his main line, which is sold in more than 50 countries worldwide, Cavalli designed RC Menswear, as well as the youth-aimed diffusion line Just Cavalli, launched in 2000, which today encompasses men’s and women’s wear and accessories, watches, jewelry, perfumes, eyewear, undergarments, and beach attire. There is also the Angels & Devils Children Collection, the Class line, shoes, and two underwear collections.
In 2002, Cavalli opened his first café-store in Florence, revamping it with his signature animal prints. Soon after, in Milan, the Just Cavalli café at Torre Branca opened, as well as another boutique on Via della Spiga. In July 2011, his company collection was presented at the catwalk of The Brandery fashion show in Barcelona.
On June 18, 2013, he was awarded an Honorary Master's Diploma in Fashion Management from Domus Academy in Milan, during a ceremony after which he held a lectio magistralis.
Cavalli married Silvanella Giannoni in 1964, with whom he had two children before their divorce in 1974. In 1977, while serving as a judge at the Miss Universe pageant, Cavalli met contestant Eva Düringer, whom he married in 1980. Together, they had three children, and Düringer became his business partner. They worked together until selling the business. They divorced in 2010. In 2023, Cavalli announced the birth of his sixth child, with his partner, Swedish model and actor Sandra Nilsson.
Cavalli died at his home in Florence, Italy, on April 12, 2024, aged 83, following a long period of ill health.
As of January 2014, Cavalli returned to the role of men's creative director from his son, Daniele Cavalli, starting with the 2014 fall collection, appointing Martyn Bal as his right-hand man. Also, on January 24, 2014, Gianluca Brozzetti (CEO) and Carlo Di Biagio (COO) announced they were leaving the fashion brand. In May 2014, Cavalli approached Investcorp, an investment firm in the Persian Gulf, as a potential buyer of a stake in his fashion brand. Many leading models have worked for the brand, including Jessica Stam, among others. Former Acne Studios creative consultant Paul Surridge succeeded Peter Dundas as creative director for the brand in May 2017.
In 2019, DAMAC Properties's Hussain Sajwani completed the acquisition of Italian fashion group Roberto Cavalli.
Despite these challenges, Cavalli's designs continue to be popular among fashion enthusiasts and celebrities. His bold and daring approach to fashion has inspired countless designers and fashion lovers around the world.
