Couture Series
A TV series might now be binge-watched in one gulp, but the same can’t always be said of fashion collections. On Tuesday Roberto Cavalli quietly shared images of its first couture range designed under the creative direction of Fausto Puglisi.
The five looks officially unveiled by the company acted as a teaser for designs the fashion house will introduce during the Cannes Film Festival, which opened Tuesday and will run through May 28.
Yet some of the gowns appeared last week on Puglisi’s Instagram account. If the first images flanked by cryptic captions didn’t immediately point to an upcoming couture launch, more recent posts left little doubt with captions like “Couture Magic.”
Overall, the capsule collection is set to respect the bold and sensual femininity the brand is best known for via high-octane glam gowns and minidresses, rich in transparencies, embroideries and prints.
Examples include a black minidress mixing intricate cutouts, lace inserts, gold sequined embroideries and feathers; a vibrant green gown with a high slit and a long trail, splashed with an animal pattern; a sensual, body-hugging frock in white lace that leaves little to the imagination and a quintessentially Cavalli gold number in a leopard motif and plunging V-neck and side slits.
Behind-the-scenes videos the Sicilian designer shared with his 243,000 followers on Instagram also showed an asymmetric statement gown where the leopard motif is rendered in pink and trimmed in matching feathers; a chiffon dress encrusted with rich embroideries, combining forest green and acid green shades, as well as an electric blue long frock with a cascade of sequins and rhinestones.
While which Hollywood star might actually walk the red carpet in Cannes wearing one of his couture looks is still anyone’s guess, it’s safe to say Puglisi has been successfully bringing visibility back to the Roberto Cavalli brand since joining the company in 2020.
Thanks to the Sicilian designer’s former ties with prime personalities of the movie and music industries, as well as his revamped aesthetic direction for the brand, Roberto Cavalli is back on the racks of international stylists and is a go-to brand for the likes of Doja Cat, Anitta and Megan Thee Stallion, who were recently seen in custom looks at Coachella or the Grammy Awards, for instance. Jennifer Lopez, Ciara, Lily James, Naomi Scott and Halle Bailey also walked red carpets wearing some of the brand’s pieces. — S. S.