31 posts tagged "Roberto Cavalli"
The Cult Of Cavalli
“I love women and they love me,” Roberto Cavalli told Style.com last night, surrounded by a throng of female admirers at his newly renovated Madison Avenue flagship store. They had flocked uptown to the Italian couturier’s shop to kick off the annual Casita Maria gala honoring Cavalli this November.
The shop—outfitted in new crystal-dusted flooring, tufted python ottomans, and chocolate ponyhair rugs—quickly filled with the likes of China Machado, Hannah Bronfman, Melissa George, Denise Rich, and Michelle Harper. Never mind the Indian summer; when Mr. Cavalli throws a party, the dress code calls for two things: leopard and fur. “Russian women love to dress,” quipped soprano Anna Netrebko, the star of the Metropolitan Opera’s Anna Bolena, who arrived swathed in an aqua animal-print number and a matching mink bolero. “All that fur and bling, we love it.”
The designer, who recently celebrated 40 years in business, revealed no plans to hang his bedazzled coat (ahem, jeans) anytime soon. And why should he? His Spring ’12 gold sequined collection was jaw-dropping. “This is my life,” he said. “I started working in fashion because I love femininity, and to me the most important thing is to make women feel more beautiful.” Mr. Cavalli, mission accomplished.
On Our Radar: Aquazzura
Edgardo Osorio, the designer behind the new shoe collection Aquazzura, knows the luxury market. He’s spent ten years working with Salvatore Ferragamo, René Caovilla, and Roberto Cavalli, where most recently he’s been directing all of the label’s shoes, on and off the runway. But he also knows that not everyone can manage the luxury price point and that the market sorely needs options between the mass and the luxe. The Colombian-born, Florence-based designer, who was raised between Miami and London, aims to fill the gap. His shoes come in cashmere suede and baby calf, tricked out with anklet-chain details and adjustable-strap closures for a perfect fit, but top out at around $450 a pair. No wonder Barneys has already expressed interest.
Macramé: Knotty Or Nice?
For most of us, macramé conjures up images of hemp-loving hippies, not the master of minimalism herself, Phoebe Philo. But Spring found the Celine designer channeling the festival set with woven vests and jackets. And she wasn’t alone. “Macramé is effortless,” said Catherine Malandrino, who knotted thin strips of leather into a linen T-shirt. Easy, yes, but not undone. At Gucci and Emilio Pucci, handiwork and magpie embellishments decorated bold evening looks for an effect that was far from folksy. And it doesn’t get any more fab than Roberto Cavalli‘s “Ultravixens of Glamazonia,” as we called them in our review.
Click here for a slideshow and let us know if you’re feeling knotty for Spring.
Forty Years Of Roberto Cavalli
When Roberto Cavalli opened the doors of his first store in Saint-Tropez four decades ago, as Tim Blanks writes, “it wasn’t much more than a fishing village.” Times have changed—to say the least—but Cavalli has kept on, outfitting generations of jet-set socials in all the feathers, ruffles, python, leather, and leopard print they could handle. (And as it turns out, they could handle a lot.) To celebrate his 40 years in the business, the designer is putting out Roberto Cavalli, a collection of images, shot by Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott, of some of the world’s most beautiful women in his clothes. (Lara Stone, left, Carolyn Murphy, Sasha Pivovarova, and Sigrid Agren are just a few of the ladies represented.) On the eve of the book’s publication and his 40th anniversary bash in Paris, Cavalli checked in with Style.com to talk stars and style. And keep reading below for our exclusive slideshow of images from the book.
You’re celebrating your 40th anniversary in fashion. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen in fashion over that time?
With the invention of technology and the Internet, everything has become much more instantaneous now, which is exciting. I love that no matter where you are in the world, as long as you have access to a computer, you have access to fashion, an area that was previously very closed off. Now, we have a rapidly growing Facebook page and a new e-commerce site, which is doing extremely well.
The book is full of fabulous women who’ve worn your creations. Do you have one who is a particular favorite, whom you love to dress?
I have so many friends, clients, and fans that I love to see in my clothing, but just this week I have had the pleasure of dressing Heidi Klum, Leona Lewis, Taylor Swift, and Rachel Bilson while they are in Milan and Paris. They all looked stunning.
Are there any women you haven’t yet dressed that you’d like to?
I don’t think the world will ever run out of beautiful women that I want to dress!
The entire book was shot by Mert & Marcus. What do you like best about collaborating with them in particular?
Mert & Marcus do incredible work and I’m always impressed by how they can capture beauty, energy, and passion. What I liked most about working with them was the confidence in knowing that the final product would turn out fantastic, which it has.
Forty years in business—no mean feat. What do you hope to do in your next 40 years in fashion?
I hope to have another 40 just as wild and exciting as the past. I want the Roberto Cavalli name to live on and continue to ride the wave of success.
Click here for an exclusive slideshow of Mert & Marcus’ shots from Roberto Cavalli >
Ask The Experts: Favorites Of Milan Fashion Week
Milan fashion week is over, and the fashion set has moved on to Paris, where the shows resume tomorrow. At last night’s amfAR Milano gala—a sort of closing ceremony to the week—we asked a few key insiders to name their favorite shows and moments of the Milan week. So, everybody: What’d you like?
“Jil Sander for the bold punches of color with a modernist slant, and Dolce & Gabbana for the purity.” —Giovanna Battaglia (above)
“I love how Gucci makes me feel. Frida [Giannini] is a designer who knows a woman’s body well. It’s an honor to wear Gucci during Milan fashion week.” —Chanel Iman
“Roberto Cavalli, because of the whimsical touches he adds to his clothes.” —Cheyenne Jackson