In memory of the late founder who died in April aged 83, Fausto Puglisi’s poignant outing embraces the House’s codes with sharp tailoring and a brew of supermodels.
Roberto Cavalli’s kind of woman looks nonchalant but acts strong. That dichotomy played out in the house’s spring-summer 2025 collection which was brought to life with the choice of juxtaposing the tailoring – Fausto Puglisi chose ease and function as leitmotifs, with pieces that were soft to the touch.
From a body-hugging voluminous dress tipped in white, a black leather and chiffon siren gown from the archive to slip dresses in pared-back volumes, Puglisi’s aesthetic is far from a minimal one, but this season he preferred a clean, uncluttered silhouette to his flamboyant outings.
SS25 marked the first of the Cavalli House since its founder, Roberto Cavalli, passed away. As a homage to the late founder, the lineup was broken down into parts, while the movement epitomised a soaring climax.
First up, everything arrived in white, ivory and ecru with embroidered nets drawn over trench coats, draped dresses and slouchy pants, with not a print in sight. From there on, the scene shifts to sea views: a bright red sun is sinking in the water at sunset, captured with photographic precision on easy breezy pieces in froissè silk, rendered as jacquard on sumptuous yet svelte coats and skirts.
“It means a lot because we lost Roberto and to see our core pieces from all those seasons ago on the runway is so emotional,” reflected Eva Cavalli (Roberto Cavalli’s widow and longtime collaborator) backstage post-show, who got selected at the very end of the show to walk alongside Puglisi. “Also, being able to see Fausto working on this moment is a great thing to bring on our legacy, even more now.”
Elsewhere, the collection progressed with a brew of 1990s and 2000s supermodels including Eva Herzigova, Joan Smalls, Karen Elson and Alex Wek. They turned up the heat and suddenly filled the room with emotion and optimism.
“It was a very emotional moment, as we wanted to say our goodbye to Roberto who we’ll always cherish in our heart,” said model Mariacarla Boscono. “The dresses we’re wearing are the original copies of collections that were over 20 years ago, and we were super excited to still fit in the clothes,” Boscono exclaimed.
“We spent a magical decade, and Roberto was the party!” she enthuses, detailing how exciting walking with her colleagues always is, even years on from the golden days. “Being with the girls is so amazing!” Boscono concluded, “As we’re all friends, so it felt like a jump back in time.”
by Chidozie Obasi