Roberto Cavalli, style icon and symbol of Italian fashion, died this Friday at the age of 83. According to information revealed by the family, and cited by the Ansa agency, the designer died at home, having succumbed to a prolonged illness that worsened in recent days.

"Dear Roberto, you may no longer be here with us physically, but I know I will always feel your spirit with me", wrote Fausto Puglisi, creative director of Roberto Cavalli since October 2020, in a post on social media, as you can see below.

It was at the age of 30 that he took an important leap in his career with the first collection presented in Paris. In 1972, he opened the first store in Saint-Tropez, France, only later in Italy, in 1996.

It was precisely during the 70s that he became a fashion designer for stars such as Brigitte Bardot or Sophia Loren, for whom he created attractive and 'revealing' looks, Cavalli continued to seduce celebrities from younger generations, from Kim Kardashian to Jennifer Lopez.

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After several collections with patterns and 'animal print' he turns to the children's audience with the launch of the Just Cavalli brand, in the 2000s.

After 10 years of marriage to Silvanella Giannoni, Eva Düringer was his second wife, who was a finalist in Miss Universe. In addition to being a companion, she would become a business partner with her husband, having even abandoned her fashion career.

Sandra Bergman Nilsonn was his current partner, with whom he lived the last 15 years of his life. The Italian owned a purple helicopter and a wine farm in Tuscany.

Cavalli loved Ferraris, big cigars and tight shirts open over a perpetually tanned chest.

His career also went through low points, such as in the 1980s, when his extravagant style seemed to go against the minimalism then in vogue.

He was also at the center of a long trial in Italy for a case of tax fraud, which ended with his acquittal. His company also started to register losses, forcing him to sell most of the shares in 2015.

Cavalli patented several of his methods, which attracted the attention of the luxury house Hermès and the designer Pierre Cardin.

His brand was gradually confronted with financial difficulties linked to the increased competition from houses controlled by the giants LVMH and Kering, and Cavalli left the artistic direction of his group in 2013.

Two years later, the Milan-based Clessidra fund bought 90% of the capital, but failed to contain the losses.

Finally, Cavalli was acquired in November 2019 by Vision Investments, the investment fund of Dubai real estate tycoon Hussain Sajwani.

[News updated at 9:07 pm]

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