Roberto Cavalli, Italian Fashion Designer, Dead At 83

Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli has died at 83 years old. According to the Italian news cooperative ANSA (per the Sun), Cavalli's cause of death was an illness. He is survived by six children: Cristiana and Tommaso with his first wife Silvanella Giannoni; Robert, Rachele, and Daniele with his second wife Eva Maria Duringer; and Giorgio with his girlfriend Sandra Nilsson. Giorgio was just born in March 2023.

Professionally, Cavalli's fashion career was a wildly successful one. His designs have been worn by stars such as Madonna and Charlize Theron. According to Women's Wear Daily, he often said "Excess is success." Cavalli worked with some of the world's brightest stars, so if you want fashion inspiration from Beyoncé's "Renaissance" era or any other of her iconic looks, you may be wearing some 'fits inspired by Cavalli's work.

One of the hallmarks of Cavalli's work was animal prints — one of the fashion trends with longevity. During a 2013 speech at Oxford University, Cavalli talked about his love of animal prints. "I love nature. Animals have the best dresses. God made them so well-dressed. Women like these designs, they feel natural in them," he said (via CNN). Cavalli's eponymous company also sold home goods on its website, and he had a chain of clubs and cafes.

Roberto Cavalli's life wasn't all glamour. When he was just three, his father was murdered during World War II. That caused the future fashion designer to be mute until he was 18. Despite difficulties that have touched his life, Cavalli said, "But life has been kind to me [and I have been] rewarded for everything" (via the Sun). 

The story of his father's death was included in his "Just Me!" autobiography. Cavalli told Women's Wear Daily about how the memoir dove into a part of himself he didn't always share: "I screwed everybody over — I have been an amazing actor. With this book, people will discover a Roberto Cavalli that you don't expect because the recital is over, so I take the stage and introduce the real me."

In 2015, Cavalli stepped back and was no longer in charge of his Roberto Cavalli company. It changed hands and was eventually bought by Vision Investment Co. LLC, the owner at the time of Cavalli's death. An announcement of Cavalli's passing was shared on his Instagram page, and it included tributes from Sergio Azzolari, the CEO of Roberto Cavalli, and Fausto Puglisi, the creative director. The post itself included quotes from the designer and the line, "Roberto Cavalli's legacy will live on via his creativity, his love of nature and via his family who he cherished." Like all the stars we've lost in 2024, Cavalli will be missed.