Roberto Cavalli A/W 2018

Mood board: ‘I was looking at that era from 2000 to 2005 when fashion was a little bit more flirtatious and frisky,’ said Roberto Cavalli’s Paul Surridge backstage after his second catwalk collection for the house. Flirtation and friskiness are two signature attitudes of the Milanese house, which is renowned for its sexy silhouettes, overt glamour and ostentatious fabrics such as fur and animal print. For A/W 2018, the designer presented a men’s and women’s offering frothing with wintery leopard print, sexy cuts of flesh, and plenty of pizzazz. There were slashed riding jackets, knitted dresses with cuts and swathes of fringing, skinny leather trousers that flared flatteringly at the ankle, and snakeskin overcoats in provocative shades or red. ‘I think we’re ready for a little bit of kitsch, movement drape and fun,’ Surridge said.
 
Finishing touches: Knee-high boots came with column heels designed to resemble chipped glass, while others came with a higher arch, resembling a thick stiletto from the side, but a block from the back. ‘The Cavalli woman loves a heel,’ Surridge said, ‘but for me it’s also about being comfortable.’

Sound bite: The designer was inspired by Cavalli’s signature ombré dresses, using a moody gradient colour palette in riding jackets, sequinned column gowns and shirt dresses. ‘I was inspired by the colours of Murano glass,’ Surridge said, ‘like Cavalli, it’s also very Italian’.