Roberto Cavalli has launched a blog at robertocavalliblog.com. In his welcome post, Roberto Cavalli says the blog will cover fashion, combating violence and other topics. He also promises to share real stories about his life.
Finally I managed to create my own Blog!
This is my way to feel close to you, to talk with you, to listen and advise, to share with you my successes and sometimes my problems.
Do you think you know me? Do you think you know everything about me? I will show you that maybe I am as you dreamed but like all humans I have my weaknesses. I also have my dreams.
We'll talk about fashion, of course, since fashion is a philosophy of life we share which takes us away from life's little daily problems. When you're well dressed and feel good about yourself it is easier to face the world, its risks and see its opportunities. Embracing fashion will change your life!!
We'll talk about this wonderful world which our very mindsets are bringing low. We'll talk about your problems, whether you are young, or old like me. How to combat violence and how to gain respect by respecting others.
I will try to make you smile, not with fairy tales but with real stories of my life. A long life, full of emotions and adventures. I am here to prod you, to help and encourage you. Do not forget that I love you!
Vogue UKreports that the designer's official website, robertocavalli.it, will launch a redesign on March 31st. Roberto Cavalli also has Facebook and Twitter accounts.
2010 Oscar Fashions: George Clooney and Elisabetta Canalis
George Clooney took his Italian girlfriend Elisabetta Canalis to the Academy Awards. George looked dapper as always in a single breasted Giorgio Armani black tuxedo with notched lapels, although he was in desperate need of a haircut. Elisabetta wore a red satin, strapless gown by Roberto Cavalli which featured red beading detail on the train and a red velvet cape. She carried a Ferragamo clutch.
The dress seemed a bit tight for her and -- according to this report -- split right down the back early in the evening, and had to be repaired on site. Some reports say George sewed it back up, which we don't believe for a minute. You know he was kidding when he told some journalist that he did the repairs.
Clooney's Girlfriend, Elisabetta Canalis, Models Underwear for Roberto Cavalli
Elisabetta Canalis - an actress and model who is dating George Clooney - is the face of Robert Cavalli's new spring/summer 2010 underwear campaign. The campaign was shot by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott.
Cavalli told Vogue, "Elisabetta has always worn my creations - her feminine and Mediterranean beauty naturally leads her towards being my vision of a woman. I discovered that she is a perfect model and she was very confident in front of the camera - that was really a surprise for me as I have always met Elisabetta at informal situations, but I was aware of the final result!"
You can see a few more photographs from the shoot here on vogue.co.uk.
Beyonce Tells Allure She Has Merged With Her Alter-Ego, Sasha Fierce
Beyonce covers the February issue of Allure. She's wearing a Roberto Cavalli dress and sequined leather booties by Cesar Paciotti. 2009 was a huge year for Beyonce. She enters 2010 with ten Grammy nominations and a signature fragrance, Heat, coming out in February. In the wide ranging Allure interview, Beyonce talked about styling her own hair, having children and songwriting. She also says she no longer needs her alter-ego Sasha Fierce.
On Sasha Fierce: "The thing that's interesting is I don't need Sasha Fierce anymore, because I've grown, and I'm now able to merge the two. I want people to see me. I want people to see who I am."
On Styling Her Own Hair: "I remember when I started doing my hair myself—I cut bangs, and I started curling my hair and pressing it, literally, with an iron. The girls from Destiny's Child, we would put our hair on the ironing board, and iron it, which is so crazy! My mom [who used to own a hair salon] was like, 'We have to get you out of your own hair, because you are destroying it!'"
On Having Children: "I definitely want to have a child," she says. "But I know from my nephew it's a lot. I hope that those things will just happen naturally. I still haven't had time to relax."
On Songwriting: "Probably the best songs I write are about relationships, and flipping the roles between women and men, and things that women go through. Growing up in a female group and in a hair salon, I have always been passionate about women. I just think we need each other, and the things that inspire me to write songs are things that I think women need to hear. I'm happy to be a voice, one of the many. I'm happy to be, in some way, a role model."
You can see more of Beyonce's Allure photo shoot here.
Roberto Cavalli: Department Stores Behavior is Depressing Customers
Roberto Cavalli says that department stores are being too pessimistic about the economy which could eventually turn off potential customers.
"Departments stores are being very, very careful at this time on making orders," the designer said in an interview at Milan Fashion Week. "They are negative and pessimistic and this they transmit to the final consumer."
European retail sales declined for a 14th straight month in July as rising unemployment prompted consumers to rein in spending. Saks Inc., Neiman Marcus Group Inc. and other luxury retailers are reducing orders this year to limit supply and boost profitability. Wholesale revenue at Burberry Group Plc dropped 28 percent in the first quarter, while Hermes International SCA has said department stores are cutting orders.
It's certainly true that the department store execs are all doom and gloom these day. Is it bumming out their customers? Perhaps. Cavalli says his sales have risen by 9% during July and August and that the company is increasing its presence in Asia.
The talks between Roberto Cavalli and Clessidra SGR SpA have broken down over price. The venture capitalist Clessidra has been negotiating with the Italian designer since the beginning of the year to take a 30% stake in Cavalli's company. But the deal may be off. WWD reports that the sticking point is the high valuation Cavalli places on his fashion brand.
Clessidra pulled out of talks to buy a 30 percent stake in Cavalli over the weekend, sources said Tuesday.
"Relations have cooled," a person familiar with the situation said. It was not clear if they have done so permanently.
Clessidra had signed a letter of intent in June and was expected to secure a deal by the end of September. However, talks broke down after Cavalli declined to budge on his asking price or to sell a larger stake for the same price, another source said. The amount Clessidra was offering could not be learned.
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The impasse is a case of history repeating itself as far as Cavalli is concerned and a reminder of private equity investors' reluctance to meet the megavaluations of three or four years ago.
But a Clessidra deal seemed problematic almost from the beginning. After reaching a tentative deal with the private equity company earlier this year, in May the designer seemed to change his mind yet again. "I'm not so sure I want to sell in the end," Cavalli told WWD at the time. "It's more logical to buy than to sell now."
However, a week later the fashion house and Clessidra revealed they'd signed a letter of intent for Clessidra to buy a stake. "I had to think hard about it over the last few weeks, and I believe that it is the right way to ride the recovery after this moment of international economic-financial crisis," Cavalli told Il Sole 24 Ore.
Cavalli needs a new equity partner to infuse cash into the company to weather the recession and fuel growth. He also has said he needs a good CEO to run the company, which Clessidra would provide. Cavalli claims his company is worth $3.1 billion, but venture capitalists put the value closer to $1.2 billion. Some analysts think that Cavalli's stubborness could really hurt his company's future. Others think the venture capitalists are offering too little for too big of a stake in the company in return.
Roberto Cavalli i launching a new made-to-measure service for clients who want a special wedding dress, evening gown or cocktail dress.
Called Roberto Cavalli Saint-Honore, the service will offer entirely handmade dresses in a special private space above the Rue Saint-Honore store. No more than 35 dresses are to be produced each year, with prices starting at 30,000 euros, or $41,950, for a cocktail dress. Roberto Cavalli's wife, Eva, held a press conference in Paris Monday and stressed that the collection isn't the start of a couture collection, but an extension of a service the house has been offering for red-carpet and other relevant events. "Clients who want a special outfit from Cavalli now will know that they can obtain it," she said.
It's an interesting concept that sounds is somewhere between haute couture and ready to wear. Many designers offer this service privately to celebrities and special clients, but Cavalli is making it open to anyone who can afford it. It's a good idea and natural extension of the line.
Roberto Cavalli has still not decided if he really wants to sell 30% of his company to investors. The deal was on, then it was off and now it seems to be on again.
Much like a modern-day Hamlet, Roberto Cavalli is weighed down by his own dilemma: to sell or not to sell?
While only a week ago the designer said he was "not so sure [he] wanted to sell in the end," a spokesman for Clessidra SGR SpA said Wednesday that Cavalli has signed a letter of intent with the Milan-based private equity fund for the sale of a minority stake in the house. A deal could be finalized by the end of September, said the spokesman. However, he declined to comment on the terms of the agreement.
The designer did not return calls seeking comment, but a Cavalli spokeswoman said Clessidra and the designer are negotiating the sale of a 30 percent stake in the company. Previous reports pinned the stake at 20 percent.
The deal with Clessidra would help Cavalli develop his business without turning to banks — which is important in light of short-term debt of 21 million euros, or $30.8 million, Roberto Cavalli SpA has with several banks. The company's debt has grown from 9.1 million euros, or $12.4 million, at the end of 2007, according to the company's balance sheet obtained by WWD. Dollar figures are converted from euros at average exchange rates for the periods to which they refer.
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The arrival of Clessidra may lead to the appointment of a chief executive officer, and the buzz here is that a roster of potential candidates to the post include Michele Norsa, ceo of Salvatore Ferragamo; Gian Giacomo Ferraris, ceo of Jil Sander; Stefano Sassi, ceo of Valentino Fashion Group, and Giancarlo Di Risio, who is expected to leave Versace soon. A source said the latter may "make sense" given Di Risio's past role as Ittierre’s ceo and contacts with Cavalli.
It's clear that Cavalli is not thrilled about giving up any part of his company. But if doesn't get private investors, he will need bank loans and that may be even less attractive to him.
Roberto Cavalli Inks Five Year Licensing Deal With Itierre
Roberto Cavalli has extended his licensing deal with Ittierre SpA for his Just Cavalli label. The new deal is for five years.
The deal, confirming a report in WWD on Friday, covers production and distribution for Just Cavalli men's and women's apparel, shoes and accessories. It runs through the fall-winter 2014 collections and cancels outstanding financial obligations tied to the previous agreement, both parties said Monday. The contract is subject to government and court approval.
The renewal marks a U-turn for Cavalli, who blamed Ittierre for having to call off Just Cavalli's fall-winter runway show in February, citing delays, substandard production and 20 million euros, or $26.5 million, in unpaid royalties. At the time, Cavalli said he was talking to other potential partners, including Renzo Rosso’s Staff International, and could even take Just Cavalli's production in-house. Cavalli's remarks led Ittierre to threaten legal action.
Dollar figures were converted at average exchange rates for the periods to which they refer.
Cavalli said Monday his young line had been suffering from "just a bit of a fever" and "seasonal ills" and would return to the runway with the spring-summer 2010 collections.
"Now [Just Cavalli] is very healthy and very strong," he said. "It will very much upset those who were hoping for the worse."
The deal is expected to strengthen Cavalli's position in negotiations with Clessidra SGR SpA. He is in talks with the private equity firm to sell a 20 percent stake in his namesake fashion company. The designer met representatives from the fund last Tuesday, when they laid out what he described as an "interesting plan."
Itierre is in the Italian equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy, so the new deal has given the company new life. And clearly Cavalli would rather stick with a company he knows than cut a deal with a new firm.
Roberto Cavalli in Talks to Sell Interest in His Company
Roberto Cavalli is in talks with a major Italian private equity fund to sell twenty percent of his company. Cavalli said that Clessidra SGR SpA has laid out an interesting plan for the future of the company, which he is considering.
"I'm attracted by the idea of having an interesting partner, but the price is very different," said Cavalli, who stressed he will discuss the transaction with all of his family, including his five children. "This is a moment of change and one must organize themselves in a different manner. Business was much easier these past years, but today you have to push your workers to take things in a more constructive way and with more fantasy."
He also revealed he is seeking a chief executive officer. His daughter, Cristiana Cavalli, is company president, but there isn't a ceo.
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On a lighter note, Cavalli said he is ironing out a new project — his own fashion world Web site — that should be up by Christmas.
"I would like the world to be sweeter and there to be more love, and I'd like to transmit these values through my own Web site with blogs, live online appearances, pushing young designers," said Cavalli.
Having an interesting website with a blogs and videos is something that all designers should have. The guest blog that Giorgio Armani wrote (or had ghost written by a journalist he dictated his words to) for the New York Times was very popular indeed. In fact, we think he should start blogging permanently. And if he needs to dictate to a writer because English isn't his first language, we don't mind a bit. Because his personality came through very strongly, even if he didn't actually sit at a computer. Or he could just vlog. Surely he has an assistant that could run around after him with a video recorder to catch his latest musings on pasta, New York and fashion.
Milla Jovovich Ad for Roberto Cavalli's Credit Card
Roberto Cavalli's new credit launched last month. Cavalloi has said he might dine with some of the credit card holders. He's also compared them to friends on Facebook: "If you have the Cavalli card, you are part of my fashion club, like a friend on Facebook."
Milla Jovovich reveals her taste in fashion and a little more in this ad for Cavalli's new credit card. Take a look:
W Magazinereports that Roberto Cavalli has launched a new clothing line, Roberto Cavalli Pets. The collection - which includes satin-trimmed doggy bathrobes and velour tracksuits - is designed for small and medium-size dogs. Roberto's wife Eva told W that they love animals and they wanted to bring their style to the canine world.
"Roberto and I have always loved animals; we have so many of them around the house," Eva said. "It came as a natural conclusion, therefore, to bring a bit of our style to the canine universe."
True to Cavalli, the collection-designed for small and medium-size dogs-offers such extravagances as satin-trimmed bathrobes, printed silk shorts, velour tracksuits, and puffer and shearling jackets. Accessories include quilted dog carriers and patent-leather collars and leashes. "Who doesn't love dogs?" Eva said. "They're reliable, faithful and caring. I could not imagine my house without them or our other animals. They're true members of the family."
W Magazine has more photos of the pet outfits here. There should be a special runway show for Cavalli's pet outfits.
The new administrators of financially troubled Itierre SPa are now suing designer Roberto Cavelli over his comments that they would be unable to turn the company around.
The administrators, who were appointed last month after Ittierre filed for bankruptcy protection under the Italian equivalent of Chapter 11, stated Saturday they had tasked their lawyers with "protecting Ittierre SpA regarding industrial, economic and image damages derived from Mr. Roberto Cavalli's repeated comments in reference to the Just Cavalli license and the activity of the administrators themselves."
They added that Cavalli's decision to cancel his Just Cavalli fall '09 show last week was "unilateral" and "unjustified with serious prejudice to Ittierre's image" and underlined that the Gianfranco Ferre, C'N'C Costume National and Galliano shows were taking place in Milan and Paris.
On Thursday, Roberto Cavalli, whose Just Cavalli label is Ittierre's biggest license, generating annual revenues in 2007 of around 240 million euros, or $329 million, blamed the disruption at Ittierre for his decision to cancel the young line's runway show, citing delays and substandard production. He opted for a presentation of 20 outfits at Just Cavalli's showroom instead.
Cavalli also said he was prepared to take Just Cavalli's production in-house if necessary, saying he doubted the administrators ability to turn Ittierre around.
What a mess. We don't know a thing about Italian bankruptcy law, but we find it hard to believe that Cavalli is prohibited from giving his opinion about the administrators' competency. The bankrupt firm also owns the licenses to the Galliano, VJC Versace, and Versace Sport labels and has just gotten $35 million in interim funding to keep the company going.
There was a lot of buzz about Roberto Cavalli's new credit card with the snakeskin print when it was announced in January. Those interested in the luxury credit card no longer have to wait. The Cavalli mastercard launches this week at Milan Fashion Week and promises VIP access to Cavalli boutiques and special online sales.
Cavalli says the cardholders will be people who wants to meet. He might even dine with some of them.
"They are all the people that want to speak with me through internet, because I will talk with them," said Cavalli yesterday afternoon at his Via Senato showroom. "They can ask me what to wear that night, they can ask me how to look fantastic with a boyfriend--and once a month, I will decide, maybe in New York, to have dinner with people."
The Moment quotes Cavalli as saying, "If you have the Cavalli card, you are part of my fashion club, like a friend on Facebook."
Roberto Cavalli Cancels Just Cavalli Milan Fashion Show
The Just Cavalli show at Milan Fashion Week has been cancelled. Roberto Cavalli says he canceled the show to safeguard the Just Cavalli image during a difficult period with Ittierre's bankruptcy filing.
The main Roberto Cavalli show is still on schedule for March 1. But the show for the younger, more informal Just Cavalli line, for whom Britain's Kate Moss has modeled, was due to run on Thursday, during the Feb 25-March 4 Autumn/Winter 2009/2010 shows.
"I made the decision to safeguard the image and clients of Just Cavalli," the designer was quoted in MF newspaper saying.
"The difficult situation of Ittierre doesn't give me the guarantee or security to be able to be, as always, in the avant-garde with my youthful line," he said, according to the newspaper. "I want to present again for the next summer collections in September."
Just Cavalli isn't the only runway show being cancelled. A Reuters story says there are about ten fewer catwalk shows in Milan because of the recession. However, there are going to be more presentations.
Roberto Cavalli has launched a blog at 
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