Kuwait Times

Roberto Cavalli Italian designer dies at 83

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Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, known for his animal-print designs loved by showbusine­ss stars, has died at the age of 83, his company said. Cavalli, who founded his label in the early 1970s, had been ill for some time. He is survived by his six children and his partner Sandra Bergman Nilsson.

“The Roberto Cavalli company shares condolence­s with Mr. Cavalli’s family, his legacy remains a constant source of inspiratio­n,” Sergio Azzolari, chief executive of Roberto Cavalli, said in a post on Instagram. The designer died on Friday at his home in Florence, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Cavalli, who used bright colours and patchwork effects in his often revealing creations, was an extroverte­d art lover who wore tinted glasses and smoked a cigar. He expanded into real estate and often spent evenings in his popular “Just Cavalli Cafe,” a nightclub in central Milan.

Giorgio Armani said he always had “enormous respect” for Cavalli even though his vision of fashion could not have been more different.

“Roberto was a true artist, wild and wonderful in his use of prints, capable of transformi­ng fantasy into seductive clothes,” he posted on social media platform X.

A popular image of US model Cindy Crawford in July 2000 shows her descending Rome’s Spanish steps in a Cavalli-designed long slip dress depicting a tiger face. “You will be missed and you are loved by so many that your name will continue on, a beacon of inspiratio­n for others, and especially for me,” said Roberto Cavalli’s creative director Fausto Puglisi.

The Florence-based fashion group is owned by Auriel Investment SA, controlled by Dubai’s Hussain Sajwani who rescued it in 2019.

Cavalli’s funeral will be held in Florence on Monday, Italian media reported.

 ?? — AFP photos ?? Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli attends his fashion show on late evening on June 10, 2013, in the Montenegri­n coastal town of Budva.
— AFP photos Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli attends his fashion show on late evening on June 10, 2013, in the Montenegri­n coastal town of Budva.
 ?? ?? Italian designer Roberto Cavalli (right) walks down the catwalk at the end of his presentati­on of his creations during the second day of the Cali Exposhow fashion show.
Italian designer Roberto Cavalli (right) walks down the catwalk at the end of his presentati­on of his creations during the second day of the Cali Exposhow fashion show.
 ?? ?? Italian designer Roberto Cavalli acknowledg­es applauses on the catwalk at the end of his Autumn/Winter 2004-2005 women’s collection at Milan’s fashion week 27 February 2004.
Italian designer Roberto Cavalli acknowledg­es applauses on the catwalk at the end of his Autumn/Winter 2004-2005 women’s collection at Milan’s fashion week 27 February 2004.
 ?? ?? Italian designer Roberto Cavalli poses with his dog prior to the Just Cavalli Fall-winter 20122013 collection on February 24, 2012.
Italian designer Roberto Cavalli poses with his dog prior to the Just Cavalli Fall-winter 20122013 collection on February 24, 2012.
 ?? ?? Italian designers Roberto Cavalli and wife Eva Düringer acknowledg­e the applause of the audience after their show.
Italian designers Roberto Cavalli and wife Eva Düringer acknowledg­e the applause of the audience after their show.

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