Mood board: We’ve seen trainers paired with micro mini dresses at Versace, and utilitarian tool belts and pocket adorned Peekabo bags at Fendi. For spring, Italian glamour comes with a heavy dose of practicality. But what does this mean for a house like Roberto Cavalli, so steeped in overtly sexy silhouettes like its cut-out perfume dress, and outré animal prints? For creative director Paul Surridge, who presented his third collection for the house, this meant finding allure in athletic silhouettes, and a sensuality in sporty and dynamic shapes. A brown leather mini dress or a perfectly tailored white waistcoat paired with cycling shorts (the style of the season, just ask Fendi, Prada and Sportmax). A gauzy short suit in a graphic brown and turquoise (tones inspired by a trip to North Africa) paired with chunky trainers. A blazer, in a print resembling antelope hide, oversized with mannish proportions.
Best in show: Surridge’s tailoring prowess was on display here. The designer’s menswear background came through in a series of sleek short suits. One in zebra print was practical yet provocative and not without a heavy dose of Cavalli sex appeal. Elsewhere, a tessellated mini dress showed off a new patchwork technique applied to python.
Finishing touches: Since his appointment at Cavalli, Surridge has experimented with the brand’s footwear, imagining ease-fuelled slippers or elongating boots with comfortable chunky heels, inspired by Murano glass. For spring, the sporty synergy of his ready-to-wear was translated not just into trainers, but into heeled boots, wrapped in athletic jersey.§
