Roberto Cavalli RTW Fall 2022
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Roberto Cavalli is grabbing the spotlight once again, riding the current wave of Made in Milan, molto sexy, Y2K nostalgia.
But unlike some of the shows — and showgoers — on Day One of Milan Fashion Week, where the tight dresses, heels, feathers and furs were out by lunch time, Cavalli and Fausto Puglisi kept things from veering to vulgarity by mixing royalty and erotica on his mood board.
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“I wanted this crazy, beautiful British feeling with the tartans, then leopard and cheetah, then knits with cage-like effects.…Erotica, for me, is like Coca-Cola, it’s always inspired me from Junya to Jean Paul Gaultier,” he said, giving credit where credit is due. (He might have mentioned more recent Balmain and Balenciaga as well.)
But Puglisi deserves credit, too.
In his first year of Cavalli collections, he has brought momentum back to the brand, and with this outing seems to have put all the pieces together — sizzling eveningwear, strong tailoring, sexy knits and animal prints galore, all designed with a multigenerational, diverse customer in mind.
“I was also thinking about Zendaya in ‘Euphora,’ of fluidity, of something beautiful and classic but styled in a free way,” he said of the star who had a turn on the red carpet in November, wearing a vintage Cavalli cutout gown with gold spine detail, which Puglisi updated for her.
It was a lot, but it worked, with mismatched tartan oversized tailoring, mini kilts and animal print garter skirts that had a punk spirit, playing with the cattiest of catsuits for kittens and cougars, with flawless cutout strips across the ribcage, or harness details in back. A more covered up vision of the boudoir came in the form of robe coats and fluid velvet trousers, and a standout jaguar jacquard cape swinging fringe.
Puglisi’s eveningwear should go over big in Hollywood, with a veritable red carpet parade of black curve-hugging knit or floating silk chiffon gowns with cutouts and harnesses. One quibble was with the few styles that had too many roses, nearly a birthday cake’s full.
Hollywood stylist and Puma creative director June Ambrose, who was sitting front row, was impressed: “It was really strong,” she said, sharing that she is in Milan for fashion week scouting for Puma collaborators.
Speaking of which, Puglisi offered some covetable accessories, too, from gleaming curved “claw” heels to steel-toe boots sprouting metal buds that clanked with every runway stomp. Either way, they slayed.
Launch Gallery: Roberto Cavalli RTW Fall 2022
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