MILAN, ITALY — In line with the city’s poised edge, the womenswear shows in Milan mean a lot of rigour, flesh, and unabashed femininity. The word ‘obsessive’ doesn’t come to mind. Fausto Puglisi cut through all that like a knife for his Spring/ Summer 2026 show for Roberto Cavalli with another collection that confirms his technique is just as sharp as his vision. A knife’s blade is no accidental metaphor.
The neckline of an elegantly cut golden blouse was sliced open with a precision slightly askew at the centre, featuring golden pleats and a matching bell-bottom take on volume of an otherwise simple, vibrant staple. That’s because Puglisi loves bold, graphic cuts. Vivid accents of pulsating gold earned him a powerful shift at the brand, where he added further interest to separates.
Embracing the freedom to follow your own path while finding a balance between instinct and rationality has long been at the core of the house’s lingua franca, and it’s the sensuous quality of this clothing that people will remember. It was particularly striking to see liquid jersey, three-dimensional jacquard fabrics, and laminated materials juxtaposed throughout the collection, giving life to offerings with fluid, airy, and classically feminine silhouettes. Also on the agenda: a stellar cast—namely Karen Elson, Maria Carla Boscono, and Amelia Gray.
Rounding out the evening look was a special couture gown meticulously crafted by blending various laces with suede threads, creating Moorish patterns. Denim also formed a central component of the lineup, always conveyed in an experimental key with a va-va-voom twist to match.
This season, though, it was the evening ensembles that stood out—and that keep giving the incarnation of this label a firm identity season after season; elsewhere, though, it’s safe to mention his party pieces were in keeping with the drift toward looser shapes.
All in all, Pauglisi’s Cavalli may not be the most premium luxe, but its unfettered contemporary vein gives it a distinct edge on the broad prism of Milan fashion.
by Chidozie Obasi