The Sicilian sun, a heartbeat away from the Tyrrhenian Sea, beats within Fausto Puglisi. It’s a sun that has long soaked the city of Messina, a place of fishermen and stark Moorish lines that break through the island’s Baroque flourishes. This sun, this city, are the quiet forces behind Puglisi’s latest offering for Roberto Cavalli for Spring/Summer 2025. At first, the collection is a study in elegant restraint: monochromatic skirts, dresses bleached to the paleness of sun-washed stones, and knits that whisper rather than scream. There’s a rough-hewn charm woven throughout: trench coats and skirts etched with fishnet, dresses tinkling with shells, and rope belts cinching everything from pants to bikinis.
But this is Roberto Cavalli, a house synonymous with a certain kind of outrageous glamour. And Puglisi, who has been at the helm for three and a half years, understands the mission. He’s spent his tenure finding the everyday appeal in Cavalli’s DNA, toning down the volume while maintaining the inherent sexiness. The result for Spring/Summer 2025 is a collection that oscillates between languid ease and red-carpet readiness. Photographic prints of blazing sunsets and crashing waves find new life on slip dresses and pajama sets. The collection culminates in a trio of mermaid dresses that redefine the silhouette with a sense of stretch and fluidity often missing from such statement pieces.
The show concludes with a poignant tribute to the house’s founder, Roberto Cavalli, who passed away in 2023. A constellation of iconic models, including Eva Herzigova, Natasha Poly and Joan Smalls, grace the runway in a curated selection of Cavalli archival pieces. It’s a fitting tribute to the man who once famously declared, “I am the party.’’ And indeed, the energy in the room, fueled by Puglisi’s clear vision and confident execution, ensures that the Cavalli party continues.
©Photo: Roberto Cavalli