Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli died at the age of 83

Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, a jet-set designer for decades thanks to his python skins and flamboyant prints, died on Friday, April 12, at the age of 83, Italian media reported. According to the Italian agency ANSA, the designer died at his home in the city of Florence after a long illness.

Inspired by 1970s stars like Brigitte Bardot or Sophia Loren, for whom he created clothes that generously revealed skin and curves, he went on to charm the latest generation of celebrities, from Kim Kardashian to Jennifer Lopez.

Roberto Cavalli loved Ferraris, big cigars and tight shirts spread wide over his always tanned chest. He’s married to a Miss Universe finalist, owns a purple helicopter and a vineyard in Tuscany, and is a Who’s Who of Hollywood.

Born on November 15, 1940 in Florence, the leather goods capital of the world, Mr. Cavalli began painting T-shirts to earn money while studying art. In 2012, he told us on his blog how he was invited to a party in 1970 and found himself face to face with the host stylist: wanting to save face, he told him that he was doing printing on leather. The stylist asked him to return the next day with the samples, so Cavalli hurried to find soft, thin leather on which to print the floral patterns. The stylist won and Cavali’s career began.

The Italian couturier patented several of his methods, which attracted the attention of luxury house Hermès and couturier Pierre Cardin. In the 1970s, he opened a boutique in Saint-Tropez, one of the jet-set hotspots of the French Riviera, and presented his first collection in Paris. She then returned to her hometown, where she presented her denim dresses in the opulent surroundings of Pitt Palace.

“Even a fish has a fantastic colorful dress”

in evoking Vogue In 2011 of his animal prints, this animal lover, whose personal menagerie included a monkey, said: “I love everything that has to do with nature. » “I realized that even fish have fantastic colorful colors, as do snakes and tigers. I realized that God is really the best stylist, so I started copying God.he told the magazine.

Beyond fashion, his empire extended to furniture, wine, jewelry and even vodka. He also designed a collection for the Swedish giant H&M and costumes for the tour of American star Beyoncé. In 2005, he redesigned the Playboy Bunnies micro-suits with leopard print.

Despite all this, his brand gradually ran into financial difficulties linked to increased competition from houses controlled by giants LVMH and Kering, and Mr. Cavalli stepped down as artistic director of the group in 2013. Two years later, the Clessidra Foundation, based in Milan. Bought 90% of it but without stop loss.

Finally, Cavalli was acquired in November 2019 by Vision Investments, the investment fund of Dubai real estate magnate Hussain Sajwani.