The Tamesis
Since the last Roberto Cavalli show, a majority stake in the company has been acquired by Marquee Brands, a management company whose holdings include BCBG, Laura Ashley and Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia. Like Marc Jacobs, which was recently acquired by WHP Group, Cavalli is the luxury jewel in the new owner’s crown. Residential and hotel projects may be the way forward.
Fausto Puglisi, who is optimistic by nature, is optimistic about Cavalli’s next development. It appears in a resort collection with playful archival eye prints as the main theme, to which he added images of roses and precious stones. The print appears on a range of silhouettes, from ruffled slip dresses to stretch knits and jeans, and Cavalli appeals to all different types of women, not just the Glamazon types it was previously associated with, but also a large number of Generation Z.
“Escape is extremely important to our customers,” Puglisi said of the brand’s foundation. So there were zebra prints on shorts and chiffon shirts, wet mermaid scales on stretch mesh separates, and peacock feather patterns on cocktail dresses. Cavalli started out as a printmaker. Where Puglisi puts his own stamp on things is the attitude of the clothes. You hear about executive authenticity—well, he’s honing a party-girl authenticity. Case in point: a pink croc-print velvet slip dress paired with eye-print jeans.
