Fashion Show Coverage: Roberto Cavalli S/S 12 (september 26th 2011)

The invitation to my favourite S/S 12 show.


This season`s breathtaking location was Arco della Pace in Milano.


Roman fashion in marble


Courtney Love attended wearing Roberto Cavalli


Great style outside the show: leather, flowers and Givenchy wedges



The show`s attendees were a stylish fashion crowd in trendy, feminine looks highlighted with luxury accessories





The difference between the outside and the inside couldn`t have been more extreme. On the outside the venue was a classicistic monument in warm sunshine. The inside was made to look like a black industrial hall with pink and red lightening. "Caged" chandeliers were installed over the runway.


The view from my seat in row six.



The show was DRAMA, BABY!

The models were walking to a soundtrack of heavy drums, Giorgio Moroder`s melancholic 'Love Theme' (Flashdance soundtrack) and goth rock by The Sisters of Mercy ('Ribbons').

I perceived the dramatic atmosphere as a suitable depiction of the difficulties we face in today`s world but the Cavalli woman faces it with confidence, strenght and beauty. This attitude perfectly reflects my state of mind!



The meeting between the linearity and perfection of the Bauhaus-inspired outerwear, the Baroque lavishness of the dresses and the mini-skirts determines the silhouette of the collection.



The S/S 12 show sees the debut of the ‘Florence’ bag, created as a gesture of the designer’s love for his city. Square shapes, in crocodile, nude or black, with double handles and golden metal macro padlock, engraved with a snake scale effect.



The collection features lots of precious eveningwear, composed of silk tulle dresses, embroidered with sumptuous motifs and decoration.



The leather is an expression of pure Florentine artisanship: jackets and trousers created in combinations of python and crocodile, enriched with stitching, inlays, and tone-on-tone paillette embroidery.



The long dresses follow the line of the body, with printed mousseline inlays and lace, enriched with precious embroidery applied along the sides, and paired with sartorial jackets or a slim-fitting gilet with padded shoulders.



Skirts in silk plissés with floral prints open with the movement of the body, revealing a contrasting animalier print, expressing the hidden side of the Cavalli woman‘s personality.



Opulent gold, either as a highlight or all over, is a major theme of the collection.


I even walked the runway! Ok, after the show :)

My own pictures. Creative Commons license: Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0).

Pictures 4 and 14-17 are property of Roberto Cavalli.

The show was amazing! I love this sophisticated, feminine collection with its fine materials, flowing shapes and luxurious decorations. It was about time opulence, decoration and fine artisanship returned to fashion - in summer collections too!

What do you like best about Roberto Cavalli S/S 12?