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Roberto Cavalli

(1940 - )

Roberto Cavalli was born on November 15, 1940, in Florence, Italy. In 1957 he attended the Academy of Art of Florence, Italy where he became interested in merging fashion and painting, and at the same time researching a variety of materials and new technologies in his own print shop. Along with Cavalli's interest in technologically advanced materials is his love of animal prints, exotic colors, ornate embroidery and fluid silhouettes.

In 1960 he hand-painted some sweaters for a friend that was launching a knitwear line; they were an immediate success. He worked for Mario Valentino, the Naples designer and in the early 1970s opened his own boutique in Saint–Tropez, on the French Riviera where he attained international notoriety for his innovative printed leathers. In 1972 he launched his first women’s collection in the Florence’s Pitti Palace.

During the 1980s Cavalli did not take part in any seasonal presentations of new collections. It was not until he met Eva Duringer, his second wife, who was the force behind the revival of his company in the 1990s; that Cavalli launched in 1994, his luxurious jean line (Just Cavalli). Cavalli began targeting the American market in the late 1990s. The prestigious department store Bergdorf Goodman started carrying his line. He opened a store in Madison Avenue in September 1999.

Today, Cavalli concentrates on the the new markets of Hong Kong, Seoul, Taipei, and Moscow. In 2002, Roberto Cavalli was awarded the Fashion Group Designer of the Year Award.