Fashion House Roberto Cavalli is Guest of Honour at DFW SS 2025
Design from Roberto Cavalli, left, Creative Director Fausto Puglisi.
Muhammad Yusuf, Features Writer
Iconic luxury label Roberto Cavalli will join the upcoming Dubai Fashion Week (DFW), co-founded by Dubai Design District (d3) and the Arab Fashion Council (AFC), as Guest of Honour (Sept. 1 - 7). Showcasing for the first time in the Middle East, the Italian brand will close the Spring/Summer 2025 (SS 2025) season with an exclusive collection; it marks a significant milestone for DFW’s global profile. The late and legendary designer Roberto Cavalli founded the namesake brand in the 1970s, debuting in Paris with a collection of printed leather gowns. It has since become a household name for Italian luxury and glamour, featuring on international runways and red carpets, distinguished by a bold use of tropical patterns and animal prints.
Among a legacy of celebrated collections and achievements, the fashion house is credited for reviving denim as a high-fashion garment through innovative fabric processing and treatment and the invention of stretch denim. The brand has since expanded its repertoire from apparel to handbags, fragrances, children’s wear and home interiors. It has returned to the spotlight under the new creative director, Fausto Puglisi. Bringing iconic collections from Milan to Dubai, Roberto Cavalli’s debut on the DFW runway reflects the emirate’s cementing its status as a global fashion capital.
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Dubai’s rapidly expanding luxury market, robust platforms such as DFW and a diverse, fashion-forward audience, are strengthening designer confidence in the city and broader region. The event kick offs with a gathering of fashion stakeholders, celebrities and media at d3. “Dubai Fashion Week is growing in prominence and prestige,” said Khadija Al Bastaki, Senior Vice President of Dubai Design District (d3), part of TECOM Group. “Each edition proves Dubai’s mettle as a global fashion capital. Roberto Cavalli’s Middle East runway debut on our platform sends a powerful message to the international industry: that Dubai is where the future of fashion is being written. We are delighted to welcome the brand as our guest designer and enrich the experience of attendees by adding such a celebrated name to our line-up. Roberto Cavalli will be a memorable closer to the Spring/Summer edition and cement Dubai’s renown among the world’s five fashion capitals, including London, Paris, Milan and New York.”
Mohammed Aqra, Chief Strategy Officer of Arab Fashion Council said that “having Roberto Cavalli close our Spring/Summer 2025 show reflects the growing prestige of Dubai Fashion Week. The Middle Eastern market has always been significant for Cavalli, and this showcase will undoubtedly strengthen the bond between the brand and its regional supporters. This highlights our commitment to elevating the fashion landscape in the Middle East and providing a platform for both regional and international designers to shine.” Fausto Puglisi, Creative Director, Roberto Cavalli, said that “we are honoured to be the guest brand at Dubai Fashion Week. Dubai is one of our biggest Middle Eastern markets, and the city’s spirit aligns perfectly with Roberto Cavalli. Showcasing here allows us to connect more deeply with our loyal clientele and new admirers alike. Our SS25 collection, exclusively edited for this event, reflects the luxurious essence of both Dubai and Roberto Cavalli.”
Presenting ahead of New York Fashion Week and setting the tone for the global fashion calendar, DFW will see more than 30 brands from France, India, Indonesia, Italy, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Malaysia, Palestine, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom, showcase original streetwear and haute couture collections. Roberto Cavalli (1940 – 2024) was an Italian fashion designer and inventor. He was known for exotic prints and for creating the sand-blasted look for jeans. In the early 1970s, he invented and patented a printing process on leather, and started creating patchworks of different materials.
He debuted these techniques in Paris, immediately winning commissions from the likes of Hermes and Pierre Cardin. At age 32, he presented his first namesake collection at the Salon for Pret-a-Porter in Paris. He brought it to the catwalks of the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and later his Milano Collezioni featured jeans made of printed denim, intarsia leathers, brocade, and wild-animal prints. In 1972, he opened his first boutique in Saint-Tropez. In 1975, he founded the house of Roberto Cavalli fashion. The brand acquired appeal for its stable and unvarying looks, despite the changing trends. Roberto Cavalli is still a leading Italian brand in fashion, accessories and luxury lifestyle. Defined by a glamorous contemporary aesthetic, the brand is considered the quintessential expression of Italian excellence, craftsmanship with its Mediterranean origins.
The Roberto Cavalli portfolio is positioned within the luxury segment and includes the Home, Junior, Perfumes, Watches, Eyewear and Just Cavalli collections. Roberto Cavalli SpA is currently owned by Auriel Investment SA. DFW is the official fashion week of Dubai. It is one of the world’s five most important fashion weeks, alongside London Fashion Week, Milan Fashion Week, Paris Fashion Week, and New York Fashion Week. DFW was founded by AFC, in a strategic partnership with d3. DFW has seen participation by both Asian and non-Asian talent. Guest designers in the DFW calendar include names like Iris Wan Herpen, Jean Paul Gautier, Antonio Marras, Blumarine, and Moschino. The Dubai headquartered AFC is the world’s largest non-profit fashion council and an INGO for the Arab world, representing the 22 members of the Arab League, its vision is to build a creative economy by promoting regional designers globally.
