Just Cavalli (Q8783)
Jump to navigation
Jump to search
No description defined
| Language | Label | Description | Also known as |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | Just Cavalli |
No description defined |
Statements
Just Cavalli (as well as its older sister, the Roberto Cavalli main line) is waiting for an international buyer to close a deal, which will hopefully put to rest the company’s recent ups and downs and its seemingly perpetual state of rebooting. The coed Pre-Fall collection was designed in-house by a young creative who was previously in charge of the men’s line. This led to a certain cohesive flow between the two collections, approached with an eye to a young audience that isn’t necessarily familiar with the label’s past.While the underlying references to the late ‘70s/early ‘80s clubbing scene payed an obvious homage to JC’s history of sexy transgression and rockstar glamour, they were translated into a more streamlined, cleaner look than usual. For both lines, the feel was sporty-urban, with daywear transitioning seamlessly into eveningwear. The animalier prints, one of the label’s signatures, were given an optical, abstract makeover; a floral rose motif was digitally distorted on denim. For men’s, the logo outlined boldly black leather shirts and city coats, lamé-pinstriped suits, and biker jackets, while on the women’s side shapes were kept quite simple, with flounces injecting a jolt of playful femininity into sexy bustier numbers or trapeze minidresses. A color palette of flame red, neon yellow, and magenta played against black; and Studio 54–inspired imagery was poster-printed on T-shirts and oversize sweats.
18 November 2019
Roberto Cavalli is a label foundering at extremely low tide. Without a creative director, apparently up for sale, in urgent need of a cash injection, and no hot property—despite the sterling recent work of Paul Surridge—this is a brand whose heritage story has yet to be rebooted in a way that drives customers wild.It is always darkest before the dawn. This week at the studios of Just Cavalli licensee Staff International there seemed a glimmer of potential renewal, should whoever ends up responsible for Cavalli choose to explore it.Here, the Cavalli codes are being reinterpreted by two young, below-the-line designers. Its womenswear designer is a woman, aged 26, who has been with the sub-label for three years. Its menswear designer is a man, aged 30, who started out working under Surridge two years ago before taking on responsibility for Just. They aren’t being named or quoted in this review because fashion is weird that way.While phlegmatic about the current malaise afflicting the brand, both are enthusiastic about and committed to their project to deconstruct and reframe the sexy-sexy, subtle as a slap in the face, original codes of Roberto Cavalli for an audience of their contemporaries. In womenswear the designer is exploring alternatives to Cavalli’s binary of hemlines—risky risqué micros or red carpet maxis—and introducing light-of-touch extensions to the Cavalli aesthetic rendered in 2019-relevant form. These include printed parkas with curled-snake hardware, a metallic croc-embossed gabardine jacket and pant, a dynamic rendering of the Eva jacket with a slim pant and crop top, and dungarees in a finely made distressed denim jacquard. Across the gender divide there were more dungarees (the connecting membrane between Resort and menswear this season was music festivals) as well as slyly brash tracksuits and some sheer shirting for buffed boys to strut in. Who knows what will happen to Cavalli in the next few months, or who will be left to make decisions on its behalf. However giving two young Italians who already understand the brand a few seasons of freedom to recast Cavalli in a way that speaks to them and theirs—and to reject the humorless commercial considerations that have so led this brand to the lowest of ebbs—might be worth considering.
28 May 2019
The Just Cavalli formula is undergoing some rejiggering. In Roberto Cavalli’s days, it was a playground for party dresses and glamazon-gone-casual jeans. Paul Surridge, the creative director at Roberto Cavalli and its little sister JC line for the last year and a half, is a dyed-in-the-wool minimalist with long experience in menswear. His inclination is to streamline wherever possible, and he’s at his most persuasive when he’s showcasing his sartorial know-how, as he did with the sequined Prince of Wales pantsuit and another in black with silver piercing embellishments that he cut for fall. Tailoring is the big topic of the moment, so the timing is right for Surridge to lean into what he’s good at.The animal and tropical prints that have long been central to the Cavalli aesthetic are more learn-as-you-go for Surridge. He approached the signature animalier motifs in a clever way: by hand-drawing zebra and tiger stripes, he produced a lower-key vibe that he liked. He did his best to avoid tropical prints—too cliché. The closest he came was a cotton trench with plissé details in a dark green foliage motif that could’ve been camo. Logos are obligatory in this market, and he took an experimental approach, splashing block letters on athleisure separates and embroidering “just” in script on the chest of mohair sweaters like a monogram. As for the denim, it was sexy and distressed; the men’s versions were holey, about what you’d expect from this label. The new Just Cavalli is still a work in progress. What did look definitive, however, was a shaggy white Mongolian coat. Surridge put it at the top of this slideshow.
22 February 2019
How can the idea of nostalgia be made meaningful for a generation that seems to have a total lack of memory? And how can the concept of status be revisited and translated for a progressive fashion mind-set? These ponderous topics were on creative director Paul Surridge’s mind while working on the Just Cavalli Pre-Fall collection; he’s trying to give a better defined and more relevant character to Cavalli’s little sister line, putting the label in a broader contemporary perspective. “Even between tribes and subcultures, the idea of status still runs strong,” he mused. ”So I started from the concept of uniforms and the codes defining the identity of clans and young social groups.”Just Cavalli’s heritage vocabulary doesn’t lack for identity: Rock, glamour, rebellion, and a provocative sort of sexiness have always been its key words. Surridge’s filter on this rather straightforward lexicon is sophisticated and nuanced, while keeping the collection’s unconventional spirit alive. “It’s about giving an attitude and not a clichéd replica; it’s bringing up memories without being too literal. It’s a soft exploration through all those themes,” he said.Traditional JC tropes were given an upscale, polished feel; archival references were tempered and packaged into a modern, versatile wardrobe, where even sporty or street accents were handled lightly. Case in point was the treatment of denim, one of the label’s most recognizable staples. The utility fabric was infused with an extravagant, slightly historical feel, as in an elongated boxy jacket paired with a miniskirt, quilted and studded to be reminiscent of a regal Elizabethan portrait. Yet the collage-printed neoprene thigh-high hybrid cowboy boots–leggings that complemented the outfit looked progressive enough to erase any soupçon of mellow nostalgia.The idea of reworked status staples was suggested in a white classic bouclé skirtsuit, the jacket trimmed with multiple thin gold chains for a mild rock flair, while tartan was translated into a graphic windowpane motif in a loose-fitting robe coat, taken slightly out of context with a ’20s-inspired fringed hem.The collection offered solutions diverse enough to address the inclusivity factor, appealing to a broader spending demographic.
A good example was a generously cut porcelain blue wrap coat, peak-lapeled and billow-shouldered, powerful looking without being ostentatious: “It’s not about power dressing anymore, but about feeling confident, letting the femininity come through,” Surridge said. Consider that coat a Just Cavalli investment piece.
3 January 2019
Paul Surridge’s plate is quite full these days; revamping the house of Roberto Cavalli is no mean feat, yet his long-term vision for the Florentine-born label is definitely coming into focus, as proved by the main line men’s Spring 2019 fashion show staged a few days ago at Pitti Uomo. To add to the task, Surridge is navigating a menswear landscape that is hardly on terra firma, with broad cultural shifts in customer demographics requiring designers and brands to reconsider stylistic parameters and market positioning.Surridge is well aware of what’s happening on the global stage. “If you look at the macro trend, it’s obviously street,” he reflected during a showroom appointment for the Just Cavalli men’s line. “I found it very appropriate that for this season the choices for JC should be more courageous, more toward this urban street vibe and less ornamentation.” He was clearly referring to the dandy-esque soul the label has always been known for. “There’s obviously still a rock ’n’ roll element here, but we’re mirroring what’s happening in the market at large. For me, rock is an attitude more than a literal wardrobe; it has a lot to do with mentality, this idea of fun, being brave; the JC guy doesn’t shy away in a corner.”Following these considerations, Surridge blended streetwear and sporty references, keeping the silhouette loose, with “slightly more urban skater, scaled-down proportions,” he said. Cavalli’s traditional penchant for decadence and voluptuous embellishment was nowhere to be seen. A less bohemian idea of nomadism was in evidence through a more active and driven feel. Hence the focus on effortless tailoring and comfortable workwear-inspired staples. Worthy of note is Surridge’s smart take on the house’s signature animalier print, which is as strong a symbol as a logo. He worked on an updated and downplayed version of the classic python and leopard patterns, giving them an abstract spin that didn’t detract from their visual impact but definitely boosted their cool edge.
15 June 2018
Resort 2019 marks the debut of creative director Paul Surridge’s fully-fledged vision for Just Cavalli. While the trend has been for labels to merge their contemporary line into the main line (think D&G and Dolce & Gabbana; Marc by Marc Jacobs and Marc Jacobs), Just Cavalli and Roberto Cavalli are apparently leading happy, separate lives. “We wanted JC to stand out, to have its own identity, giving it a point of view not too shadowed by the main line,” Surridge said during an appointment. “I started looking at a global community, slightly younger. Everybody’s talking about millennials, because, obviously, they’re the future, but for me millennial is more of a mind-set, not about age. It’s an attitude; it’s putting something on and feeling rejuvenated, refreshed. It’s also about a team and socializing in groups, although actual millennials are quite social media–driven and isolated. I wanted to capture that idea of community and positive spirit throughout the collection.”Surridge’s approach was in evidence through an expanded offering; he worked on a wider, more inclusive range of options, proposing “something for everyone, for different body types: We have figure hugging, we have fluid lines, we have bohemian and flirtatious, we have cool denim,” he said. On the other hand, he clearly streamlined the sometimes redundant and excessive label’s aesthetic in favor of a modern, less stereotyped vibe. While the delete button wasn’t hit on the animalier prints, rock ’n’ roll attitude, or sexy edge (they are the building blocks of JC’s style, after all), they were reworked more subtly. Ornamentation was also toned down in favor of vivacious, energetic colors and decorative motifs paying homage to the label’s Florentine heritage. The profile of Michelangelo'sDavid, the stunning marble statue that dominates Florence’s Piazza della Signoria, was translated into jacquard designs on knitted sweatshirts, which were paired with shiny black mock-croc pants for an exotic twist on an otherwise more industrial look, or with stretchy, hyper-skinny studded leggings in bicolor washed denim for a soupçon of ’90s nostalgia.The requisite boho vibe was covered via floating plissé slip dresses, which were given the customary dose of tough chic with not-so-sweet printed snakeskin motifs and see-through black lace Victorian blouses, while the rock-star thing was secured with an eye-popping yellow tuxedo in lacquered mock croc, glamorized with a black lacy shirt.
As for the signature animalier print, it underwent an artsy metamorphosis, mutating into an abstract pattern and gracing slim elongated tunics or maxi shirtdresses with sliced asymmetric hems. “It’s future animalier,” said Surridge. “It could be a giraffe, it could be a leopard or a panther.” Who knows? One way or another, it looked wild enough for the urban jungle.
18 May 2018
Paul Surridge has a big remit at Roberto Cavalli; it’s not just the main women’s line he’s responsible for, but men’s and the Just Cavalli diffusion range for both girls and guys, as well. Pre-Fall is his first pass at the little sister collection; it’s still a work in progress, but the early changes are good ones. Surridge took the collection out of the studio for the lookbook shoot and styled it with hip touches like ankle socks and pumps.Hipisn’t a word typically associated with Just Cavalli;sexyis more like it, but Surridge seems determined to bring the two closer together. That instinct isn’t surprising: The Cavalli brand of va-va-voom isn’t really trending at the moment. His task is making JC newly relevant at a moment when Gucci twee and Céline-style fashion nunnery are fashion’s abiding tropes.Faced with that job, he injected a lot of diversity into the lineup: There were Lurex-shot sweaters and embellished jeans, and there was an Art Deco–studded gown. Some looks failed to tick either the hip or sexy box (pleated culottes, we’re talking to you). Surridge was at his best, it turns out, when he hewed closely to the brand DNA. Little dresses and top-and-skirt sets in Cavalli’s iconic animal prints were the collection’s winners.
30 November 2017
Paul Surridge has just been installed at Roberto Cavalli. Though his main task will be reviving the women’s and men’s signature lines, the Just Cavalli diffusion brand falls under his purview as well, and there’s opportunity here. The contemporary market may be crowded, but not many of the bigger names are specializing in the glamazon aesthetic Cavalli put his stamp on in his heyday. The current zeitgeist leans vintage-cute à la Gucci or minimally minded like Céline. Surridge could own the customer who favors animal prints above all others and takes everything from leather jackets to silk blouses with a heavy dose of grommets and studs.This interim studio-designed collection had plenty of all that. What it could’ve used more of was the modernizing eye that would make it freshly relevant and competitive among the prevailing labels and trends.
24 May 2017
Like an obedient younger daughter following in big sis’s footsteps, theJust CavalliPre-Fall lineup dutifully paid homage to the label’s heritage, referencing all its classic themes and ticking all the required boxes. Animalier: tick. Botanical prints: tick. Studded black leather: tick. Rock ’n’ roll femme attitude: tick. Never straying from the beaten track, the collection kept ticking and ticking. We definitely got the message: Here again, it was back to Cavalli’s roots.In keeping with the house’s recent change in direction, the mood was a touch less young and rebellious and slightly more mature, the intention being to amp up the luxe factor. This was apparent in the use of rich prints, inspired by the exquisitely painted Uffizi ceilings and the intricate jacquard floral motifs of Gobelins tapestries. Translated into long, ruched chiffon dresses paired with military-inspired short jackets, or cut into short capes worn with black leather minidresses, they made for convincingly wearable, if rather predictable, looks. Elsewhere, bombers in metallic leather were decorated with intarsias, looking very much of-the-moment but with no added frisson. Yet an appliquéd leather miniskirt worn with a black lace see-through top was less comme il faut, injecting the lineup with a bit of edge.
28 November 2016
Always keen to let a good rock ’n’ roll vibe lead the way,Peter DundasinjectedJust Cavalli’s Resort lineup with legendary references: Debbie Harry, the Ramones, and Iggy Pop, just to name a few. Their music would form the playlist that Just Cavalli’s club kids would listen to while strolling insouciantly down Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, or New York’s East Village; they’d probably be clad in barely there glam disco minidresses, skinnier-than-skinny denim pants, Western-inspired embroidered shirts, or flimsy, long chiffon numbers. It’s a happy, über-cool posse with not a care in the world.A dash of the ’70s is always in the cards when it comes to Dundas’s style, be it apparent in a ruffled poet shirt worn under a souvenir jacket, or in a patchworked biker jacket with a vintage surplus flair. Sexy animalier prints are essential too; Resort featured a fashionable zoo of tangled snakes, python skins, and leopard spots, while sequined sharks decorated miniskirts, tank tops, and blousons. To play up the lineup’s upbeat, bold attitude, the designer relied on bright rainbow colors, lush florals, and an abundance of appliqué patches and badges on denim. It all had a mix-and-match, lived-in, carefree attitude.
5 July 2016
Imagine Andy Warhol’s Silver Factory crossed with CBGB and you’ll have a good picture of tonight’sJust Cavalliset.Peter Dundasconjured the good old bad days of New York for his first show as artistic director ofRoberto Cavalli’s little sister label. He tended bar, the British band Black Honey played a 40-minute set (as the notes said, its lead singer, Izzy Baxter, is a Debbie Harry for 2016), and models circulated in late ’70s/early ’80s punk-meets–new wave clothes. There were printed one-shoulder party dresses, rhinestone-spangled jackets, and leopard-spot coats for the ladies, and shrunken Perfectos, printed shirts, and super-skinny jeans for the dudes.It’s well-trod territory, to be sure. Fashion has been co-opting and commodifying the look of underground music scenes since at least Vivienne Westwood’s early days, and clubwear has become a particularly popular refrain sinceHedi SlimaneconqueredSaint Laurent. There were no surprises here. Still, the look seems right for Just Cavalli, the lower-priced offspring of Cavalli’s rocker-chic signature label.Over the years atEmilio Pucci, Dundas proved himself adept at channeling glamour. Just Cavalli’s brand of glamour is simply more laid-back and grittier. Turning around a company as big as Cavalli’s will be no easy task for Dundas, but aesthetically speaking, he can let his hair down here. That’s gotta feel good. “It’s about getting it back to the kids it was intended for,” Dundas said, pointing out that Baxter and co. were disappointed to change out of their JC duds for their street clothes after sound check. Then he went back to his bartending duties.
28 February 2016
For Pre-Fall,Just Cavallipresented a lineup that tapped into the current masculine-feminine fashion mystique (thank you, Alessandro Michele!). It took a turn not toward the languid, though; the house of Cavalli is more about black leather biker jackets, barely there miniskirts, and ultra-skinny jeans (thank you, Hedi Slimane!). The collection was designed by the studio team; Cavalli’s new creative director,Peter Dundas, will present his full vision for Fall in Milan. This collection was an updated replica of the codes that have proved successful for the label: a touch of grunge to spice up the rock-chick attitude; the references to the glorious ’70s (no other fashion decade has ever endured such longevity); and a casual, nonchalant glamour.There is no Cavalli without a good dose of animalier prints, and Just Cavalli complied; all the repertoire for a modern, not-so-romantic Lady of the Canyon was on display. Long dresses were printed with stars or flowers; tuxedo jackets were worn with stretch leather pants; oversize studded bikers and bombers had the mandatory borrowed-from-the-boys vibe. It was all well and good—but we’ll wait for Dundas to give the lineup a much-needed kick to bring its cool factor and unique point of view back into place.
1 February 2016
Big in Japan? Roberto Cavalli does big everywhere, so it should come as no surprise that his secondary line's take on Nippon would be as raucous, acid-blasted, and full-throttle as the rest of his oeuvre. Resort found him whipping up traditional kimono prints into a brilliant, almost comic book-y frenzy, splashing them across '60s-styled blouses and minis, like a sweet emerald baby-doll dress. You could almost imagine the girlfriend of some rock god heading to Tokyo on tour, picking up vintage pieces along the way and pairing them happily with all her L.A. fringe and studs (both here in spades, on jackets, skirts, suiting…). Among the strongest ensembles was a pair of bold, chrysanthemum-printed palazzo pants and a little blouse, topped off with a gleaming gold belt that riffed on traditional obis.Cavalli's dizzying digital patterns this season integrated Art Nouveau flourishes and that perennial favorite of the label, leopard spots—a combo so gung-ho as to prove tough to argue with. That was the case with much of this collection, a sense of fun that trumped traditional notions of cohesion. If there was one thing that could have stayed on the cutting-room floor, it was the thread of "country romanticism," which yielded some lace-trimmed little dresses that felt less eclectic and more at odds with the all-out appeal to be found elsewhere here.
26 May 2015
The Roberto Cavalli MO has always been to do more with more. That stands for his main collection, and it stands for Just Cavalli, the little-sister line whose Fall collection he presented today. The show started off with a dark navy and purple velvet jean jacket and A-line skirt with clean, graphic lines, and the next few looks were black, but the understated tone established at the beginning didn't last long. The show notes talked vaguely about women's liberation, while Chicks on Speed and Yoko Ono rapped about utopia on the soundtrack. If you cared to, you could read the collection as a journey of awakening to texture, to print, and to embellishment. Then again, that might be thinking too hard about it.Fringed sweaters were as shaggy as a komondor puppy, bold Bauhaus-influenced prints were worn head to toe, and ostrich feathers turned up as an accent on pieces for day and night. The silhouettes alternately said 1970s (A-line minis and clingy ribbed knits) or Victorian times (floor-grazing dresses with high ruffled necks and long sleeves). In the end it was a bit of a jumble, and nothing was quite as sharp as that opening velvet skirtsuit.
26 February 2015
Camping alla Cavalli? Not quite, but Roberto did head into the woods for Pre-Fall, returning with berries, bark, snakeskin (of course), and even a squirrel or two. In some places the idea bubbled up literally, particularly with digital prints: A kaleidoscopic mash-up of orchids and snakes swirled down the sides of trousers and over blouses. Another grouping was devoted to a hyperrealistic pattern of blackberries and raspberries for an effect that looked like houndstooth from afar but up close was frankly mouthwatering, and every bit as nice on slinky midi dresses as on tops. Those literal prints were tempered by easy shapes ('70s-style blouses with bagged trousers) and some standout tailoring, including a fitted snakeskin-patterned jacket and a mustard leather blazer with ruffled trim and matching pants. New love was given to knitwear, too. Between that and pieces like a short topper in patchworked colored fur—which conjured up visions of leaves on some exceedingly glam forest floor—this was an offering that was comfier and plainly cooler than some of Just Cavalli's recent outings.
25 November 2014
Italian fashion's resident hippie couldn't let Milan's '70s moment happen without him, could he? After a tricky Fall show, Roberto Cavalli was back on form today with a Just Cavalli collection that simultaneously tapped into his own origins and looked like it will connect with festival types of the 2010s who want a haute bohemian experience of their own. The JC hippie chick, of course, is a whole lot more sanitized than she was in her original form, not least because Mom is probably buying. Even if Just Cavalli is a lower-priced line, its designer is hardly marketing to the honest-to-goodness counterculture. Still, Cavalli's split-seam, floor-scraper dresses (some slit so high on the thigh they require shorts) would all but guarantee a wild night. And a silk scarf wrapped like a halter top around the torso and worn with low-rider flares had a raw, sexy 'tude. A master printmaker since the beginning, Cavalli avoided his signature animal spots here, instead using patchworks of chain links, daisies, and overlapping hearts—the better to unleash your inner flower child.
18 September 2014
Roberto Cavalli's Just Cavalli diffusion line is often inspired by far-flung destinations and exotic cultures, but Resort gave new meaning to the "urban jungle" cliché. The essence of the collection is a fierce creature who turns heads stomping the city sidewalks with kohl-rimmed eyes and hair streaming. Playing to the JC girl's active side, there were novelty trainers—fashion's sneaker obsession is still going strong—as well as athletic sweatshirts and windbreakers, which were updated in technical fabrications like neoprene, laser-cut nylon, and silver thermal paper similar to post-marathon space blankets. As usual, vibrant prints, both floral and fauna, commanded the spotlight, but this time around, they had an almost graffiti-like quality in keeping with the gritty theme. They came placed or patchworked together with bold blocks of color on thigh-grazing minidresses, skintight leggings, and eye-catching bombers. Other highlights included graphic moto jackets, an electric Kool-Aid-hued leather sheath with lace insets that resembled claw marks, and the finale party frock with a sculptural drape in back. The collection's streetwise tone resonated a bit more with the here and now than the JC lineups usually do, a savvy development.
27 May 2014
Roberto Cavalli's native Florence provided a starting point for his new Just Cavalli collection. He tends to go off on a trip for this little sister line—Bhutan one season, London by way of Southern California the next. But why not stick closer to home? If ever there was a town ripe for the plucking, it's his own. Medici statuary and the marble stripes of the arches in Santa Maria Novella became photo prints here. Overdyed in nearly neon colors or bisected with broad brushstroke motifs, some of the familiar landmarks were abstracted—not quite unrecognizable, but not obvious, either. Perhaps the thinking went that unaltered they would've been too earnest for JC's rock-and-roll type of girl. More is more, andmoltois better has long been Cavalli's philosophy. Today, though, that approach tended to weigh things down. A minidress printed with a lone statue was far more effective than lean cigarette pants in those busy allover collage prints. Elsewhere, there was an excess of oversize grommets, exuberant applications of fringe, and, loudest of all, gold leather that brought the rodeo to mind, not the Renaissance. The rich tapestry brocade Cavalli used for jackets and coats with motorcycle detailing was more successful for its relative understatement.
19 February 2014
Every season is a journey for Roberto Cavalli and his Just Cavalli line. After transporting us to Bhutan back in February and showing a racy Spring collection entitled "Cyber Eden," the designer set his sights on historic Persia and Turkey for Pre-Fall. With this theme in mind, Cavalli mashed up tapestry patterns inspired by traditional kilim rugs—similar to those carpeting the floors of his own Florentine villa—with his signature leopard spots and python scales. The combination worked best on peplum biker jackets and flared skirts cut from a techy napa leather fused with nylon, which were accessorized with bohemian, tasseled scarves and on-trend fringy handbags. Just Cavalli maintains a youthful rock ’n’ roll edge and that came across in a series of tough Perfectos patchworked with panels of shiny Lurex and PVC, as well as distressed jeans accented with silver star studs. Although Cavalli isn't known for simplicity, some of the comparatively pared-down pieces, including wool toggle coats and a black twill LBD, were the big standouts here. Those are sure to be popular with practical yet polished New Yorkers when the label opens its Manhattan flagship in Soho later this month.
1 December 2013
Bhutan was on the inspiration itinerary last season at Just Cavalli. For Spring, the label took a trip to the tropics with a stopover in London's punk enclaves. But as they say, it's the journey, not the destination. Wherever Roberto Cavalli goes, digital prints, animal spots, trussed-up denim, and handkerchief-hem slipdresses follow. All of that and then some made an appearance on the runway today. This was Just Cavalli at its most hedonistic, starting with the first look: a stretch catsuit with a plunge in front that dipped precariously south of the navel. There were more prints in that one look than in other designers' whole collections. Another thing this show had plenty of: cutout dresses, cropped sweaters, and bra tops. All those bared midriffs gave Cavalli ample room to show off one of his neatest tricks: skin-tight pants that unzipped at the side and folded over to reveal a contrasting inner waistband. They conjured images of surfer girls peeling off their wetsuits as they emerge from the waves. This collection is really, really going to speak to the Miley Cyrus generation. Their parents, on the other hand, are going to need a Xanax.
18 September 2013
Roberto Cavalli's customer is the tough-as-nails kind of girl who never leaves the house without a smudged ring of kohl around her eyes, so it was a change of pace to see the Just Cavalli design team tap into her softer side for Resort. The new lineup achieved this fresh sense of lightness by fusing bucolic florals with Japanese art motifs—all of which were, of course, mixed up with Cavalli's signature animal prints.There was a pajama-like ease to not only a gauzy tank dress with mesh insets and high slits with a built-in leopard slip underneath but also a colorful chiffon shirttail camisole and a matching pair of relaxed trousers. Eastern influences came in the form of origami folds along the hemline of a jacquard miniskirt and the Hokusai-esque wave patterns seen on a knit pullover and a silk blouse with cool French cuffs. The Just Cavalli team didn't entirely suppress its maximalist tendencies here. Case in point: the exotic leopard-swan hybrid that appeared on some of the collection's flashier evening looks. Apparently, you can't change a leopard's, or a bird's, spots.
21 May 2013
If there was something slightly disconcerting about Roberto Cavalli's admission that he'd "collected" a young woman he saw walking by a river while he was on holiday in Bhutan, his designs for his second line, Just Cavalli, were indeed infused with a collector's sensibility. Maybe it's impossible not to feel that way when you're confronted by a culture that is so rich in inspiration for the creatively inclined. Cavalli certainly surrendered. It could have gone horribly picture-postcard wrong, but without knowing Bhutan intimately, it felt like Cavalli had actually captured some kind of essence, particularly with vibrantly colored tiger and dragon motifs. He cleverly transposed the most intricate Bhutanese prints onto the simplest tunic or T-shirt shapes, or used them as accents on classic Cavalli pieces. What could have been mere gratuitous exotica turned into the unifying thread that held together a strong collection.
20 February 2013
For the Just Cavalli pre-fall collection, Roberto Cavalli and company borrowed military elements from a commanding officer's wardrobe and fused them with the label's rock 'n' roll DNA. Sharp-shouldered, brass-button peacoats in either wool or camouflage-embossed viscose came decorated with traditional epaulets, medallions, and insignia details. Quilting was another motif that was used, appearing as both a technicolor patchwork pattern and via quilted biker jackets and matching track shorts. Cavalli's iconic animal prints played a starring role here, as they do every season. Leopard and baroque designs mixed together on slim cigarette trousers as well as long-sleeved sheath dresses, and the spots also turned up on accessories like lace-up, knee-high boots and top-handle satchel bags. All in all, the kittenish Just Cavalli girl looks good in uniform. Just don't ask her to give a proper salute or fire a rifle.
2 December 2012
Roberto Cavalli is something of a seafaring man. He spends the summer sailing the Med, where his big iridescent boat, theRC, is an inescapable fixture in glamorous ports of call like Saint-Tropez and Porto Cervo. So Roberto could have been drawing from his own experience when he took the sea as inspiration for the Spring outing of his second collection, Just Cavalli. The show opened with a white biker with "pearl"-studded sleeves. Short dresses were covered in sequins shaped by "an oxyhydrogen flame" (the rather alarming claim made by the show notes) that looked like gilded mermaid's skin. And the handkerchief hems of chiffon slipdresses trailed like undulating underwater fronds.But all that aquatic stuff was really just PR flimflam to dress up an old story, because the collection was ultimately classic Cavalli. It was almost as though the designer's deal with Renzo Rosso had freed him to deposit all his longtime signatures in a closet marked Just Cavalli: the engineered jungle prints, the jaguar spots, the digital bougainvillea (snapped by Cavalli in his own garden). Also the python, the slither of lace under the tux jacket, the blue majolica pattern duplicated in everything from tees to leggings, the distressed denim, and those languid, handkerchief-hemmed slipdresses. Yes, these are Cavalli's strengths, but that meant it was ultimately a man's blazer tailored in organza that yielded the biggest frisson. It wasn't predictable.
20 September 2012
Roberto Cavalli is an insatiable jet-setter. While he and his glamorous gowns have been turning up on the red carpet at the Cannes Film Festival, the designer's new Resort range for his lower-priced Just Cavalli line is a passage to India. One of the first things that comes to mind with regards to the subcontinent is the abundance of vibrant, saturated color, which is also a Cavalli calling card. This season, he experimented with print blocking by mixing mirrored hothouse florals (Venus flytraps and "Garden of Eden" palms) and his signature animal prints. Sure, the impact was characteristically over-the-top, but then again, the lineup was described as nodding to hip-hop culture, and you can absolutely picture someone like M.I.A. wearing these clothes in her next music video—particularly when styled with the big gold hoops and embellished trucker hats seen in the lookbook.The most refreshing moment here was a string of pale outfits inspired by albino tigers and the ornate chalk ceilings found in Hindu sanctuaries. Rendered in monochromatic icy hues, they were more minimal than what we're accustomed to from Cavalli, but the use of innovative fabrics maintained that familiar touch of extravagance. For example, denim pants were plated with rubber for a cracked ceramic appearance, and a tailored tuxedo came in on-trend, croc-embossed jacquard. The all-white section in particular gave the entire line a more grown-up mood.
23 May 2012
Quite what the rundown tenement backdrop had to do with Roberto Cavalli's collection of clothes for 24-hour party people was unclear. Maybe that's Just Cavalli, a not-always-explicable law unto himself, just as the label says. In much the same obtuse way, the designer talked about "creating a new wonderful sound inspired by an old '78 vinyl." He didn't actually goquitethat far back for inspiration. Instead, it was the spirit of London in the sixties that infused long-sleeved, drop-waisted dresses, often with fluttery scarf hems. Typical was a black and white group of striped georgette, mixed up with an exploded houndstooth and swirling op art patterns. These initial monochrome looks were steadily infected by leopard, Lurex, silver, and gold as the show wore on.All of those ingredients are Cavalli signatures, and his renewed focus on them has helped make his main line a highlight on the Milan fashion calendar of late. Here he kept things short and sporty, bearing in mind that this collection targets his younger constituents. He also added tightly laced denims. So far, so focused. Then the focus blurred with knobbly knitwear and PVC pants. Oh well, at least Cavalli got the vinyl in there somewhere.Speaking of which, a delightful soundtrack of ZE Records' greatest hits took us back on an aural trip to a time when it seemed like the party would never end. Good Time Cavalli is doing his best to keep the memory alive.
23 February 2012
Molto Italiano does America. There, in a nutshell, was Just Cavalli's pre-fall collection. The label will never give up its go-go glamorous leanings, of course; here they were just mixed with America old (as in Native American patterns) and slightly less old (the stars and stripes, which got splayed, in an inky print, on pants and a denim moto jacket). The Cavalli team seems to be looking with fresh eyes at JC since its recent switch in manufacturers, and this collection had less of the fringe-trailing, fur-bedecked buccaneer garb the master is famous for, a few collars and a lace-up shearling vest notwithstanding. Rather than drawing on house standards, there were concessions to recent trends: not only the American motifs but also scarf prints, printed pants, and something you'd not imagine seeing chez Cavalli, a basic leather T-shirt dress. Longtime fans need not worry, though. Plenty of the collection's short cuts and tight fits will be more than enough to remind them where they are.
4 January 2012
Today's show marked a relaunch of Roberto Cavalli's second line, the kid sister to his signature vixen. But sizzle clearly runs in the genes, because the very first outfit matched a chiffon blouse to a pair of skintight, low-slung, appliquéd jeans, and wrapped up the whole ensemble in a long streamer of fake snakeskin. Rock-tastic! There were, in rapid succession, silvered denims, baby dolls and shaggy furs, abstracted animal prints, sinuous plissés, and floaty things for a buccaneer's babe. Within the obvious budgetary confines of a second label such as Just, Cavalli did manage to incorporate hints of the Florentine artisanship that lends even his most florid work some gravitas. In other words, there were studs, grommets, and some Shakespearean lacing on suedes and leathers. Entry-level Cavallites will eat it up. And the multitudes that sweltered in the enormous show venue suggest their numbers are uncountable.
23 September 2011
For its first collection manufactured by Renzo Rosso's Staff International, Just Cavalli cast a wider retail net by aiming at a super-young customer. Formerly the little sister to Roberto Cavalli's lusty lady, the line is now perhaps more suited to her daughter.There's no denying the family resemblance. This girl approaches getting dressed in the morning with the same bold enthusiasm as her mom. The house's characteristic leather pieces, boho accents, and animal prints—including, of course, the classic python—were mixed in with this season's scuba trend. The most wearable outcome was a quilted biker jacket color-blocked in graphic aqua and black. And the chicest look here was one of the more subtle ones: a satin blazer with a burnout zebra pattern paired with slim, red, cropped pants.
19 July 2011
A new day dawns at Just Cavalli with this collection. A freshly struck manufacturing deal sparks a renewed commitment to the label and presumably holds out the promise of much better things to come. Which is a good thing, given that today's showing was all over the map. Wide-eyed innocence and seen-it-all worldliness shared the same catwalk. Perhaps the first clue was the makeup. A dark-rimmed gothic eye was at odds with ruffled vicarage garden florals. That kind of tension is a pretty standard fashion faceoff, but here it anticipated a show where the rather dowdy primness of the vicar's wife's ruffled blouse and full, box-pleated skirt confusingly followed a gold disco pajama suit. And was that a dirndl?The box pleats reappeared in tweedy ensembles matching skirts to cropped tops that bared midriff. Boxy tweed and bare flesh are not perhaps the most compatible couple. The lace version made more sense. What worked best were the most straight-ahead pieces, like the goat fur-trimmed coats. At least they had a glamour that echoed the parent collection. Last Spring, Just Cavalli hit a note of upbeat fun that felt just right for the label. It would be too bad if that was the dusk of the old regime, because this dawn was dull by comparison.
27 February 2011
Come September, Just Cavalli will fall under the manufacturing umbrella of Renzo Rosso's Staff International, and change is promised. So it felt almost as though this pre-fall offering were a deck-clearing, a way to wrap up everything that was most iconic about Cavalli's past in order to make way for the future. Of course, Just Cavalli was always intended as a youthful complement to the jet-set gypsy luxury of Roberto's main line, so the Cavalli signatures—animal prints, boho, leather—were translated here in a junior-luxe way. The kid sister in this haute bohemian clan might wear the smock in the Kenzo-like collage of leopard print and flowers, paired with thigh-highs; or the tight little leopard minidress; or the denim shirtdress under a reptile-embossed suede blouson. There were, however, a couple of pieces—one cropped jacket in elaborately laced washed leather, another in velvet brocade with panels of black fox—that primed the Cavalli kiddo to move on up to big sis' closet.
4 February 2011
The carnival atmosphere at the Just Cavalli show today at the very least established the man's populist credentials. It felt likeil tutto Milanohad come for a day out. The only thing missing was picnic baskets. The show itself surely conformed to what a "civilian" audience, weaned on cable TV visions of fashion as popular entertainment, might expect: insolent glamour and jet-set fantasy, set to a driving disco beat. Roberto Cavalli, celebrating his 40th anniversary in business this year, knows his stuff when it comes to such notions. He's had decades of experience since he opened a shop in Saint-Tropez when it wasn't much more than a fishing village. Now, artful denim and leather treatments are part of his DNA. And here they were, duly featured as a pearl-studded chambray waistcoat or flower-appliquéd jeans or baroquely curlicued leather pants. In terms of fashion fantasy, Cavalli covered the bases, from the suede-covered cowgirl to the safari queen in a leopard-printed caftan to the crop-topped flower child, in short shorts printed with palm fronds lifted from Roberto's own flash card. If thousands left his tent happy today, his work here was done.
24 September 2010
The Cavalli girl—even her budget-minded sister who shops Just Cavalli—is a lady of leisure, so for Resort, the designer was thinking travel, as the season originally intended. That meant little pack-and-go dresses, plenty of denim, and hotter-than-hot pants. (Of course, Cavalli keeps those in heavy rotation during the office season, too.) The news here is that the hard-rock look the label's known for has taken more of a boho turn this time around. Shapes were light and loose, with maxi skirts and dainty ruffles, while a tulip print mixed with a lavender print, often on the same garments.There was, of course, an animal-print section, too. Here the rock reasserted itself a bit, with one-shoulder dresses, leggings, and a studded leather moto jacket. The print itself—which found its ultimate expression in a cropped, peplum-accented tuxedo—was a combination python/leopard. Never mind that such a chimerical beast could never exist in the wild. Where else would it survive, and thrive, but in the Cavalli menagerie?
17 June 2010
Glam grunge. That was the (somewhat mixed) message at Just Cavalli. The models wore flashy charm necklaces and fur collars over plaid flannel button-down shirts and pleated black leather minis, or teamed oversize brown, gray, and black patchwork sweaters with tiny loden green kilts and black and gold brocade leggings. The layered look is a key Fall trend, so points go to Cavalli for doing it in his own irreverent, leopard-spotted way. Oh, yes, this show had leopard spots, sometimes two or three different prints in one outfit. There probably aren't tons of girls out there who are going to rock that head-to-toe look, and add a lace-edged dickey into the mix. But there are plenty who'd be thrilled to combine Cavalli's cropped, drab-green aviator jacket (with acid yellow shearling lining), a pair of the designer's exuberantly colorful leggings, and one of their own T-shirts.Where things went amiss was with the molded leather pieces and the blazers made of furniture velvet. The quality didn't quite look up to snuff, and the fit was off. Bulges at the hips? No, thanks. The one thing that the Cavalli girl isn't going to compromise on is her sex appeal. Better to stick with those crazy leggings.
24 February 2010
If Spring's Just Cavalli girl took an unexpected detour through grunge territory, her pre-fall counterpart is back in Roberto Cavalli's rock 'n' roll comfort zone. His signature leopard motif was reinterpreted as an abstract print and splashed on ruffled silk day dresses, and his shrunken leather biker jacket featured a pierced grommet trim. The slashed-jeans look, meanwhile, got an update via shredded chiffon layered over printed denim flares. The target customer is described in the notes as "a well-traveled woman who has one wardrobe for everyday and another for evening." Fair enough, though it puts the designer a little out of step in a season whenversatilityandday-to-nightare buzzwords.
13 January 2010
The Just Cavalli rocker girl has gone grunge. But don't think plaid flannel shirts. She's taking her cues from Courtney Love circa 1993 and layering lingerie slips—some with great big swags of fringe—over slouchy cotton tanks and tees. And she's throwing the occasional vintage-looking pointy-cup satin bra or lacy bustier into the mix. The look came down the catwalk every which way—there were short and long printed chiffon slips for day, along with evening versions patchworked from black lace, midnight jacquard, and tulle. Well before "Smells Like Teen Spirit" came on the soundtrack, we got the message, thank you, Bobby (presumably Roberto was referring to himself on the "Just Bobby" slogan tees).But it wasn't entirely one-note. When she feels like sexing it up a bit, the Just Cavalli girl will have body-con shirred silk dresses to pour herself into, as well as slouchy black sweaters with the snags and mothballs built in and ripped and ravaged jeans and denim minis. If the multicolor leather motocross jacket was a disconnect from a mostly on-point collection, put it down to a revved-up Cavalli's enthusiasm about being back on the runway now that he's signed a new five-year production and distribution contract with Ittierre.
23 September 2009
Just Cavalli's nominal safari theme was justification enough for the use of the house's signature animal prints. For Resort, a zebra pattern was worked up into daywear and evening gowns that will ring up for under $1,000. The only surprise here came from an anomalous navy shirtdress that was surprisingly office-friendly. But the fact that this collection toes the party line should appeal to main-label Cavalli lovers who are watching the bottom line.
28 June 2009
The Just Cavalli runway show was canceled two days ago after Ittierre, the Italian manufacturer that makes Roberto Cavalli's younger line, became the latest company to fall prey to the recession. But the designer isn't prepared to give up without a fight. "I hope with all my heart that these pieces will be produced," he said at a press conference and at the small showroom presentation today, hinting that he may take the process temporarily in-house. "It'sgrinta," he declared. "Strong, edgy, forceful, charismatic—like me."Like so many other designers this season, Cavalli has been vibing on the rocker/biker chick look made popular by Balmain's Christophe Decarnin. A rugged black leather motocross jacket was paired with a silver-studded net dress, and a tuxedo jacket topped a rhinestone-covered sleeveless minidress. Denim, Cavalli reminded the audience, is what first made his name ten years ago, and here it came frayed and ripped or in a black and white acid wash that was patchworked into a fitted long-sleeve dress with silver chain trim at the hem. If these ideas were hardly revolutionary, they were well executed for their eventual price tags. There are plenty of girls eager to get this tough and sexy look in the three- or four—not five—figure range, should the resilient Mr. Cavalli manage to get it made.
25 February 2009
Picture a garden in full bloom—Roberto Cavalli did for his Just Cavalli pre-fall collection. A bright yellow mimosa print adorned jersey minidresses, while chiffon frocks were printed with delicate painterly florals in shades of cinnamon and plum. This being Cavalli, there was plenty of wildlife amid the flora: Cheetah showed up in the form of short ruched skirts and a fur-trimmed coat, and party-ready paillette halter tops jostled with wax-coated skinny jeans in mustard and magenta.
8 January 2009
At another label, the sand on the runway might've meant we were in for a rugged safari, perhaps featuring clothes with a utilitarian or, at the very least, sporty bent. Not at Just Cavalli. Even in the desert, the designer's party girls wear platform sandals, sequins, and big-time costume baubles. The only real nod to the show's "Back to Nature" title were leopard and zebra prints, but even they were done up in candy-colored silks that were patched together to create vaguely twenties-ish drop-waist dresses, a silhouette that reappeared in peekaboo black lace. The eighties had their moment, too, in the form of flippy denim or leather minis worn with slouchy rolled-sleeve tees featuring—believe it or not—macro-prints of the faces of Roberto and his wife, Eva. The little bit of this, little bit of that approach gave the show an I-just-nicked-this-from-my-mom's-closet vibe, totally in keeping with the way girls too young to remember the eighties dress today. The designers may have indulged their wacky side, but chances are that's just the way their customers like it.
20 September 2008
Roberto Cavalli took a don't-mess-with-a-good-thing approach to his Just Cavalli collection. His seventies-inflected signature show for Spring received rave reviews, so why not revisit the decade at his little-sister line for Fall? Of course, the labels have different target audiences—Just Cavalli's could be described as teenagers with trust funds—so the references were no longer esoteric, but obvious: Janis Joplin crossed with Mick Jagger at Altamont is a fitting description.Short smock dresses in a cheeky flamingo print worn with patterned tights shared the stage—er, runway—with maxidresses in bright florals. Slightly less out-there were a tangerine jersey pantsuit and an A-line camel coat. They vied for attention with stripy knit Lurex cardigans and extra-long scarves—and lost. If you're going to go vintage, why play it straight? In the glam-hippie mix, a leather motocross jacket that topped a python mini seemed out of place. The deep purple lamb-fur coat was more in keeping with the show's retro spirit. For many of the grown-ups in the crowd the long, colorful parade came off as much too familiar and theme-y, but his youngest fans—the ones born in the nineties—will likely forgive that. After all, this is probably theirfirstseventies revival.
16 February 2008
In a season of riffs on Balenciaga's directional Fall collection, leave it to Cavalli to come up with the most flamboyant one. His multiprint patchwork dresses were inspired by Africa and came with Masai beaded necklines or loose strands of fringe. But the quilted silk jackets, waist-carving belts with feather skirts attached, and ballooning pants looked a little too familiar for comfort.Of course, it wouldn't be a Just Cavalli show without some sex. So there were motocross jackets and pants, the former in patches of black, white, and brightly hued leather (matching the show's opening ethnic print), the latter in curve-hugging racing-car green. Fuchsia abstract leopard-print jersey also added a vixenish element, especially when it was spliced and pieced back together as a skintight micro-minidress. His daring maillots came with cutouts at the side or in strips of ribbon that looked knitted together like ribs. They were reminders that, when it comes to his diffusion line, Cavalli ought to have enough proven signatures of his own to riff on without looking elsewhere.
23 September 2007
Roberto Cavalli's glamazons all but disappeared from his signature collection last season in favor of a softer kind of beauty. But they were out in full force at his Just Cavalli show today, alongside ski bunnies, biker chicks, and what one editor called toy poodles—a reference to the no doubt unwitting effect produced by one too many pairs of fur-trimmed ankle booties and miles of bare leg.From the barely decent bubble minis in candy brights to superskinny pants laced up the calves or cinched with bondage straps, there was nothing tame about this show. Even cable-knit sweaters fell suggestively from bare shoulders. Oversize knits like shrugs and cardigans—often layered over denim or metallic leather jackets—played a starring role, as did fur hoods, capes, and boleros. Particularly racy was a snug black bomber lined in white shearling with a matching short skirt. Yes, Cavalli was up to his old tricks, and the 24-hour partywear inevitably came off as much too much for the pared-down crowd. The designer's riposte might be that it's working at retail: A Just Cavalli flagship is set to open on Fifth Avenue in New York this summer, and 15 additional U.S. stores are planned for the next 18 months.
18 February 2007