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 go quite that 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.
