Fausto Puglisi added his personal passion to this collection, replacing Roberto Cavalli’s wild animal prints with antique marble ones. Who knew that Puglisi was a marble nerd, traveling the world in search of the veined, color-flecked stones, snapping pictures, and swooning over them in churches, museums and archeological sites.
The marble added a new and more sophisticated edge to a brand where tiger and leopard prints usually roam. Puglisi added even more polish by updating yet another house signature, plissé pleating, looking to the textile artist and designer Mariano Fortuny for inspiration.
Those classic Cavalli silhouettes — the sweeping dresses with bra tops, pencil skirts, and barely-there minidresses — were all there, covered in emerald, yellow and black marble prints. But the overall collection was far more modest, and covered-up.
There were big nylon puffer coats and long v-neck dresses done in solid or printed plissé pleats, while jeans with a yellow marble pattern had wide legs. There were long sleeves on shirtdresses and blouses, while other, more floaty scarf tops and tunics came with long leather gloves.
Tailoring played a big role, too. Suits were all buttoned up and featured wide-leg trousers, or skinny stirrup pants. Heels — for what may be the first time in Cavalli history — were mostly low.
Cowboy style boots, in solids or bright marble prints, moseyed down the runway, alongside patent leather riding styles. Flat slingbacks in claret recalled the color of Pompeii marble.
“She’s not just ‘sexy’ — she’s a gentle, independent woman who doesn’t need to depend on a man,” said Puglisi.
With the brand set to make a marketing push in Europe, Africa and the Middle East, and with a store in Riyadh opening in the first half, it’s clear that Puglisi, the globe-trotting history buff, wants to move on and speak to a new, and more diverse, audience.
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