Roberto Cavalli

Italian Artist, Painter and Designer

The legendary fashion designers of the world posses very little similarity to their patrons; typically a young, urban culture hungry to devour the latest pieces defined as trend by the runways of the world. One particular designer, Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, relies on his mature fashion experience to guide his eye in creating his collections of fashion couture. Despite his more recent success throughout the world, Roberto Cavalli has long been a pioneer of taste and fashion.

Acquiring a significant creative sense from his family fueled an already existent artistic ability. While attending the Academy of Art, he realized a unique, gifted ability as a painter, eventually uniting his painting talent and fabric sense, resulting in fashion extraordinaire. He was so enamored with the connection between fabrics, painting and art that Cavalli began to experiment with unusual fabrics and designs while continuing his studies at the Academy. Through detailed and thorough research coupled with modern technology, Cavalli invented the process of printing onto lightweight leather; a process he would later patent.

Appropriately so, Cavalli is most widely known throughout the art and fashion worlds as a gifted leather designer. Through the combination of lightweight leather and paints, Cavalli created a new frontier of fashion. Known at patchworks, Cavalli created pieces that would later become revered as pure classics. The pieces and works of Cavalli would soon realize more international fame and success when Brigitte Bardot gave the world a captivating glance of his talent in St. Tropez on the Cote d'Azur, about 3 hours from the Italian border.

Fast forward to 1972 when Roberto Cavalli would unveil his first fashion line in his hometown of Florence at the Palazzo Pitti; a historic architectural gem commissioned by banker Luca Pitti. Unfortunately for Cavalli, his first public presentation would not be received with the bliss and glamour as other renowned designers. Florentine's considered his use of denim less than fashionable since the fabric had not been previously displayed by the likes of such beauty and style-conscious figures. However, Cavalli believed his fashions were notable contributions to the world of fashion and continued his perseverance to become one of fashion's elite and prominent designers

A crowning achievement, so to speak, was incorporating the support and assistance of his wife, Eva Duringer, a former Miss Universe, to catapult his work onto the world stage. Through her encouragement, he maintained his unconventional style to create some of fashion's most coveted designs using the same fabrics, animal prints and designs as he did in his earlier days. Staying true to his artisan roots propelled Cavalli's career.

Cavalli's expansive fashion house includes men's and womenswear, children's, underwear and casual lines, as well as eyewear and timepieces. He has also introduced Roberto Cavalli casa, a line of fashion for the home. Today, Cavalli's unique creations adorn the likes of Anthony Hopkins, Sting, Alicia Keys and many other style-conscious celebrities and couture aficionados.

By Melissa A. Tyson