Roberto Cavalli, the Italian fashion designer known for his glamorous designs, colourful prints and scores of celebrity fans, has died in Florence at the age of 83.
His rich aesthetic, which featured flamboyant prints inspired by the worlds of exotic flora and fauna, high hemlines and even lower waistlines, was unapologetically sexy. His lifestyle was equally lavish, with his main residence a 13-hectare (32-acre) Tuscan estate featureing a vineyard, tanning machine, racehorses, Ferraris and a menagerie of animals including parrots, iguanas, a Persian cat, a monkey and tiger.
His estate also included a personal helicopter and a superyacht called Freedom. Its design was inspired by the movie Batman.
Cavalli launched his eponymous label in 1970 and made a name for himself when he patented a new way of printing on leather. He showcased his revolutionary technique for the first time in his debut collection in Paris, which featured a pink leather evening gown. Cavalli immediately earned commissions from French houses including Hermès and Pierre Cardin.
He later turned his skills to denim. His autumn/winter ’94 collection showed the first ever pair of sand-blasted jeans and the following year he worked with Lycra to invent stretch jeans. The form-fitting jeans were an instant success, leading him to launch a dedicated line, Cavalli Jeans, later renamed Just Cavalli.
He was adored by celebrities. In his early years, Brigitte Bardot and Sophia Loren frequented his store, Limbo, in Saint-Tropez. However, it was during the hedonistic 90s that his flashy and flamboyant aesthetic really exploded. Thanks to David and Victoria Beckham, Britney Spears and Jennifer Lopez, a new aspiring and affluent demographic discovered the brand.
