ROBERTO CAVALLI CRESCENDOS AT THEIR SS25 ‘VIEWS FROM ZANCLE’ RUNWAY
For their first show since the late designer and founder, Roberto Cavalli, passed away, the house pays homage in a beautiful display of history and heritage. Under Fausto Puglisi’s direction, the runway is intertwined with the essence of Zancle, the ancient name for Messina, the place where Puglisi was born and grew up. His Sicillian background influences the looks to masterfully move the audience from white elegance to blooming colours.
The show starts off with white looks that slowly transition into more vibrant hues. As if transported to Messina, ropes and fishermen nets are transformed into graceful dresses and accessories. Sicilian ruggedness gets a moment to shine here, and the restraint in colours emphasise the beauty of the various textures, and only further highlights the remaining colours when they do strike to appear.
After the white fully transitions into a sunset motif, stunning dresses in a mixture of orange, yellow, and red transform the latter half of the runway into a spectacular display of the sea. Bright blue gowns and dresses take over the show to capture audiences with imagery of oceanic feels. The call of the waters becomes irresistible and the liquidity of the sea swirls and flows around the different garments.
The narrative created on this runway is immersive. Slowly, with each unveiled look, a story begins to take shape. In the views from Zancle, a new Cavalli emerges; one charged with a summery ease and a steeped love for the wonders of nature, but one that is still deeply rooted in its founder’s original vision.
As an homage to the late designer, seven iconic pieces from the archive appeared on the catwalk at the end of the show: three asymmetric zebra print slip dresses, a black leather and chiffon siren gown, and three feathered gowns. These looks capture the essence of Roberto Cavalli’s untamed creativity and love for wild glamour, and were worn by various top models: Eva Herzigova, Joan Smalls, Isabeli Fontana, Natasha Poly, Mariacarla Boscono, Karen Elson and Alek Wek
A contemporary capsule collection featuring the iconic zebra inspired looks have also been released right after the show, which is now available on official Roberto Cavalli website.
