Roberto Cavalli

**Roberto Cavalli S.p.a** (Italian pronunciation: [roˈbɛrto kaˈvalli]) is an Italian luxury fashion company founded by designer Roberto Cavalli in Osmannoro, Florence, during the 1970s. Known worldwide for its glamour and animalier prints on leather and textiles, the label is in charge of manufacturing and marketing haute couture, ready-to-wear, and accessories, including handbags, eyewear, watches, shoes, perfumes and jewellery. The company also develops interior design projects for high-end buildings and hotels.

In 2015, Sears Alliance acquired a 90 percent stake in *Roberto Cavalli* to relaunch the company. Under the lead of CEO Gian Giacomo Ferraris and a new creative director, Paul Surridge the Florentine fashion maison is now taking off in a new direction.

## History

### 1960s–1970s

Roberto Cavalli's fashion career started in the 1960s. Working in his own silk printing shop, he began to apply a new painterly technique to fully fashioned garments, which later resulted in garment dyeing techniques. His interest in adding colours to textiles like silk and wood derived from Tuscan artisan and painting traditions. In fact, his grandfather was a prominent painter of the Macchiaioli group and Cavalli studied at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze (Academy of Fine Arts of Florence). In the 1970s he kept on experimenting with other materials, mainly leather.

In 1970 the Italian fashion designer's debut collection in Paris showcased his leather patchwork designs, created with the collaboration of Mario Valentino. In 1972 he showcased his patchwork designs applied to jeans in the first *Roberto Cavalli* Women's runway collection show at Palazzo Pitti in Florence, which was the major prêt-à-porter event at the time in Italy. His work attracted many international fashion labels, including Hermès, Pierre Cardin, Krizia and Emilio Pucci.

At the end of the 1970s, most of the relevant Italian fashion houses of the time moved to Milan. Cavalli, instead, decided to stay in Florence, far from the city that was to become the Italian fashion capital for the next decade.

### 1990s–2000s[edit source]

In the early 1990s most of the corporate departments were located in Milan. The 1994 Collection at the Milan Fashion Week made the brand a global success. The new collection put on stage the *Cavalli Woman*: tiger and wildlife motifs applied to jeans, printed clothing, embroidered fur and long, lavish gowns that showed off the body. Animalier prints, which were a distinctive element of the brand, seduced many *celebrities* and the glamourous style soon appeared on the red carpet. ' wrote few years later *Vogue Italia* director Franca Sozzani.

Later, the sand-blasted denim came out and the fashion house was the first to show Lycra stretch jeans. In the meantime, new clothing lines were launched on the market: *Just Cavalli*, *Angels & Devils* (which is now *Roberto Cavalli Junior*), and *Class Cavalli*. The first *Roberto Cavalli* mono-brand boutique opened in Venice in 1996.

At the end of 2001, the brand was distributed in more than 30 countries, including the United States, Asian and Russian markets.

Through the decade, the fashion house started to diversify its portfolio by signing partnerships and licensing agreements for the production and worldwide distribution of new accessories lines.

Marcolin Group started developing and distributing *Roberto Cavalli* and *Just Cavalli* sunglasses and optical frames. In 2002 the company teamed up with Sector to design 6 Cavalli watch lines, which itself made €3.9 million revenue. The *Just Cavalli Club* opened in Milan the same year and, together with the other Club in Dubai, it is now considered to be representative of the brand's lifestyle experience. In 2007 *Roberto Cavalli* became the first Italian fashion brand to create a limited collection for the fast-fashion retailer H&M.

On the 40th anniversary celebrations in 2010, the label presented an exclusive runway collection in Paris, which included most of its iconic dresses.

In the last years under Cavalli's lead, the new interior design division *Roberto Cavalli Home* debuted at the Salone del Mobile trade fair in 2012. Furthermore, new licensing agreements were signed with Renzo Rosso's OTB Group for *Just Cavalli* and Coty Inc. for *Roberto Cavalli* and *Just Cavalli* perfumes.

The company closed 2014 with €210 million revenue and €12 million loss. In the meantime, the call for buyers had already started.

### 2015–2019[edit source]

Since 2015, Sears Alliance has been in control of a 90 percent stake in *Roberto Cavalli* with some other minor partners such as L-GAM, Chow Tai Fook Enterprises through a newco, and the florentine designer himself. Named CEO in July 2016, former Versace head Gian Giacomo Ferraris started a reorganization plan aimed at rationalizing production, logistics and retail cost operations in the midst of a turnaround effort for the company. The plan turned out as a return to the company's Tuscan origins: the Milan headquarter was closed and relocated at the Osmannoro plant, where the manufacturing of men's, children's and underwear lines were brought back in-house. In May 2017 the company appointed Paul Surridge as the new creative director of the maison, following the departure of Peter Dundas, who had covered the role since 2015.

To revamp its lines, the group focused on accessories, women's pret-à-porter and men's collections. Growing direct sales has reversed the first 2-year downward trend of the new era. With the participation of the fashion house founder, 22 September 2017 Surridge presented his Spring/Summer 2018 debut collection for Roberto Cavalli at the Milano Moda Donna fashion show. At that time, 80% of the collection had already been sold in the company showrooms. A recent partnership with DAMAC real estate developer to build new Cavalli Villas in the Middle East has stimulated steady growth of the Home division.

## Brands/Lines[edit source]

The galaxy of the Cavalli group lines include:

* **Roberto Cavalli**: the historic collection of evening gowns. The new era introduced daywear clothing and accessories, including shoes, handbags, leather goods and jewellery.
* **Just Cavalli**: launched in 1998. Developed and distributed by licensing Renzo Rosso's OTB since 2011.
* **Class Cavalli**: outwear for women and men, distributed by licensing company Swinger International since 2015.
* **Roberto Cavalli Junior**: produced in-house, it's made for boys and girls aged 0–16 years.
* **Roberto Cavalli Home**: officially launched in 2012 at the *Salone del Mobile di Milano* trade fair, the interiors collections are developed through the collaboration of Made in Italy’s partners. Among these: JC Passion Srl for the furniture line; Industrie Emiliana Parati SpA for wallpapers; Gruppo Ceramiche Ricchetti SpA for tiles; Caleffi SpA for home textile; Arnolfo di Cambio – Compagnia del Cristallo Srl for l’Art de La Table and La Murrina for lamps and accessories crafted with glasses *Made in Murano*

## Distribution[edit source]

The first *Roberto Cavalli* mono-branded boutique opened in Venice in 1996, followed by the Milan-based boutique in via della Spiga in 2000, and new stores in Rome and Florence. The group currently operates a network of 49 direct stores and 29 franchisee stores, located in the main capital cities and fashion streets around the globe: Milan, London, Paris, New York, Miami, Moscow, San Paolo, Dubai, Hong Kong among many others.

## See also

**[boxcar] (Website, Technology & Software Development Division)**
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 **[cendant]  (Real Estate & Hospitality Division)**

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**Cendant DESTINATIONS**

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**[clothespins]  (Sears Retail Network; Physical Retail & Private Label Division)**
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*Clothing Stores:* Lands' End | Lucky Brand Jeans
*Convenience Stores (Couche-Tard):* Circle K
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*Pool Supply Stores:* Leslie's
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