Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli became famous for his exotic prints and the sand-blasted look he created for denim. In the early ’70s, he invented and patented a printing procedure for leather. After getting commissions from Hermès and Pierre Cardin, he debuted his first ready-to-wear collection in 1972 and later opened his first boutique in Saint-Tropez.
In 1994, Cavalli made fashion industry headlines for inventing sand-blasted jeans. To appeal to younger consumers, Cavalli launched Just Cavalli in 2000 as a more accessible diffusion line. In 2015, Cavalli gave up the creative director helm after selling a majority stake in his brand.
Here, WWD looks at the designer’s personal style through the years.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 1987
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Roberto Cavalli at Regine’s in New York City in 1987.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 1987
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli and singer Melba Moore on March 16, 1987, dine at Regine’s in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 1998
Image Credit: Getty Images Roberto Cavalli at the Whitney Museum in New York City in 1999.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2001
Roberto Cavalli at a Jaguar event in 2001.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2001
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Eva Cavalli (L) and Roberto Cavalli attend the 73rd Academy Awards Ceremony at the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles in 2001.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2001
Image Credit: WireImage Roberto Cavalli during The Fashion Group International’s Night Of Stars 2001: Dynasty – Generations of Design in New York City in 2001.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2002
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Actress Jo Champa and fashion designer Roberto Cavalli arrive at the “Crossroads” Hollywood premiere on Feb. 11, 2002, at Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2002
Image Credit: Ron Galella Collection via Getty Roberto Cavalli during W Times Square Hotel officially opening on Feb. 12, 2002, at W Hotel – Times Square in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2002
Image Credit: Davide Maestri Designer Roberto Cavalli on the runway at his fall 2002 show in Milan.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2002
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Designer Roberto Cavalli walks down the runway at the spring 2003 Cavalli show in Milan.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2002
Image Credit: Getty Images Designer Roberto Cavalli holds his award during the Fashion Group International Presents The 19th Annual Night Of Stars Honoring “The Provcateurs: Those Who Dare” on Oct. 4, 2002, in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2002
Image Credit: WireImage Kimora Lee Simmons and Roberto Cavalli during the “Maid in Manhattan” premiere after-party at The Rainbow Room in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2003
Image Credit: WireImage Roberto Cavalli and Heidi Klum during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week fall 2003 at Time Magazine Launches Style and Design Issue event in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2003
Image Credit: Getty Images Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli attends the launch party for “The 72 Names of God,” a book by co-director of The Kabbalah Center Rabbi Yehuda Berg on April 24, 2003, at the New Museum for Contemporary Art in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2003
Image Credit: Getty Images Actress Kim Cattrall and fashion designer Roberto Cavalli arrive at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Benefit Gala sponsored by Gucci April 28, 2003, at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2003
Image Credit: WireImage Roberto Cavalli during the 2003 Cannes Film Festival – Chopard and Roberto Cavalli Press Day at Martinez in Cannes, France.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2003
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Designer Roberto Cavalli (L) and singer Beyonce Knowles backstage at the spring 2004 Roberto Cavalli show in Milan.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2004
Image Credit: Getty Images Italian designer Roberto Cavalli arrives for the XXI International Television Awards ceremony on April 5, 2004, in Milan.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2004
Image Credit: Getty Images Roberto Cavalli at The Serpentine Gallery on June 16, 2004, in London.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2005
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Roberto Cavalli attends the fall 2005 Sweetface show in New York.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2005
Image Credit: Giovanni Giannoni Designers Roberto Cavalli and Eva Duringer walk down the runway at the fall 2005 Just Cavalli show in Milan.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2005
Image Credit: Chris Weeks Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli attends his Rodeo Drive store opening in 2005.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2005
Image Credit: WireImage for PMK/HBH Roberto Cavalli and Eva Cavalli during The 2005 Wall Street Concert Series Benefiting Wall Street Rising Sponsored by de Grisogono and performance By Sheryl Crow at Cipriani in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2006
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli backstage at his fall 2006 menswear and pre-fall 2006 womenswear runway show.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2005
Image Credit: WireImage Roberto Cavalli and Eva Cavalli during Bloomberg Hosts Pre Cocktail Party For 2005 Whitehouse Correspondents Association Dinner in Washington, D.C., in 2005.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2005
Image Credit: WireImage for SYNDICATE Roberto Cavalli and Estella Warren during Coca-Cola Make It Real Launch Party at Marquee in New York City in 2005.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2006
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Roberto Cavalli on the runway after his Just Cavalli fall 2006 show.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2006
Image Credit: Getty Images Italian designer Roberto Cavalli jokes during the live broadcast of “Wetten, dass..?” on ZDF television at the Festhalle on March 4, 2006, in Frankfurt, Germany.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2007
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media (L-R) Roberto Cavalli, Andre Leon Talley and Lee Radziwill attend Marc Jacobs’ fall 2007 runway show at the New York State Armory.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2008
Image Credit: Dave Yoder Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli prepares for his fall 2008 collection in Florence.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2007
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Designer Roberto Cavalli arrives at the Save the Children 75th Anniversary Celebration at Lincoln Center in New York in 2007
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2007
Image Credit: Jimi Celeste Designer Roberto Cavalli (L) and singer and actor Jennifer Lopez attend the Just Cavalli Flagship store opening in New York in 2007.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2007
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli (L) and singer Mary J. Blige attends Cavalli’s Just Cavalli store opening in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2007
Image Credit: Steve Eichner Designer Roberto Cavalli attend Cavalli’s 2007 Halloween Party at Cipriani’s in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2007
Image Credit: Kyle Ericksen Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli attends Cavalli’s H&M collection launch at H&M in New York City in 2007.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2008
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Designer Roberto Cavalli attends the 2008 AmfAR Gala at Cipriani in New York City.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2009
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Roberto Cavalli attends Roberto Cavalli’s 40th Anniversary Party at the Fine Arts School in Paris in 2009.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2011
Image Credit: Roberto Cavalli Designer Roberto Cavalli on the runway after his spring 2012 menswear show.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2011
Image Credit: Fairchild Archive/Penske Media Roberto Cavalli at his Madison Avenue store party in 2011.
-
Roberto Cavalli, 2012
Image Credit: Just Cavalli Designer Roberto Cavalli backstage at Just Cavalli’s spring 2013 in fall 2012 runway show.