CAVALLI IS SO BACK
There are fashion houses that make clothes, and then there is Roberto Cavalli, where getting dressed has always been a little more theatrical. The Italian house was never about blending into the background, and for Spring/Summer 2027, Fausto Puglisi seems determined to remind us why that is a very good thing.
Personally, I am ready for fashion to have a little more fun.
Under Puglisi, Cavalli continues to embrace everything that makes it so recognisable: unapologetic sensuality, extravagant prints and clothes that understand the power of a good entrance. But this season, there is something particularly appealing about the way he brings these codes together. The collection feels playful, eccentric and completely unafraid of being a little too much.
And isn’t that the point?
THE ART OF NOT PLAYING IT SAFE
What makes Cavalli interesting is that it has never needed to follow the rules of good taste too closely. Its world has always belonged to women who enjoy dressing up, showing a little skin and making their clothes part of their personality.
For Spring/Summer 2027, Puglisi plays with that attitude through embellished denim, silk separates, sheer fabrics and an abundance of print. Jeans become anything but basic, decorated with crystals, feathers and sparkling details. Tiny skirts are given their own personalities, while flowing robes and dresses bring a more romantic quality to the mix.
Then come the details that make you look twice. Sunflowers appear along denim hems, shells and gold embellishments decorate sarong skirts, and bright colours bring a sense of irreverence to the collection. It is an approach that feels instinctive rather than overly calculated, as though Puglisi is less interested in creating the perfect outfit than in seeing just how far he can take an idea.
I love that about Cavalli. There is a freedom here that feels refreshing, especially when so much of fashion conversation revolves around buying less, wearing neutrals and building the perfect capsule wardrobe. Yes, those things have their place. But sometimes a wardrobe needs a piece that does absolutely nothing except make you happy.
DENIM, BUT MAKE IT CAVALLI
If there is one wardrobe staple Puglisi knows how to have fun with, it is denim.
For this collection, it is less about the perfect pair of jeans and more about what happens when you stop treating them as the sensible part of an outfit. Micro minis, shorts and flared styles arrive with feathers, fringe, crystals and unexpected embellishments. Paired with fluid tops or printed silk, they have the kind of attitude that makes even the simplest silhouette feel considered.
There is also a nostalgic quality to the styling, with a nod to the early 2000s and the era when a printed top and a great pair of jeans could be an entire fashion statement. Puglisi drew inspiration from images of the Sex and the City cast wearing Cavalli, a reminder of a time when personal style felt wonderfully individual.
What interests me is not simply the return of that era, but the confidence behind it. These are clothes that do not apologise for being sexy. They are not trying to look effortless by pretending no effort went into them. The embellishment is the point. So is the drama.
WHEN THE PRINTS COME OUT
Print is where Cavalli has always had room to play, and Puglisi uses it to explore the tension between different moods and references.
Animal motifs sit alongside florals, while flowing fabrics and ruffled dresses introduce a softer, almost romantic element. Elsewhere, electric colours and glittering surfaces push the collection towards something more graphic and playful. The result is not a wardrobe built around one aesthetic, but a series of contrasts that somehow feel right together.
Puglisi has spoken about drawing inspiration from Sicily, Los Angeles and New York, bringing together different sides of these places rather than committing to one particular mood. That eclecticism makes sense for Cavalli. The house has never been about dressing one kind of woman for one kind of occasion.
There are also moments that lean into a more bohemian sensibility, with flowing gowns and frayed details that bring to mind the free spirited glamour of rock music in the 1970s. It is a different side of the collection, but it sits comfortably alongside the shorter, more embellished pieces.
That is the beauty of a collection with a clear identity. It can move between references without losing itself.
FAUSTO PUGLISI UNDERSTANDS THE FUN OF FASHION
For me, the appeal of this collection is not about whether every look belongs in your wardrobe. It is about the feeling behind it.
Puglisi understands that Cavalli should have personality. It should be sensual, expressive and a little eccentric. It should make you want to experiment with clothes rather than simply wear them and move on with your day.
His approach to the house feels strongest when he allows its signature codes to speak for themselves, while introducing enough unexpected combinations to keep things interesting. The denim is familiar, the prints are unmistakably Cavalli, but the styling gives everything a sense of movement and spontaneity.
And that is something fashion could use more of.
Not every collection needs to redefine the way we dress. Sometimes it is enough to remind us why we fell in love with clothes in the first place. The thrill of finding something unexpected. The satisfaction of putting together an outfit that feels entirely like you. The realisation that getting dressed can be creative, expressive and, above all, fun.
THE VERDICT
Roberto Cavalli Spring/Summer 2027 is a celebration of individuality, sensuality and the pleasure of dressing without overthinking it. Fausto Puglisi brings together the house’s signature prints, embellished denim and flowing silhouettes with a playful energy that feels right for a label built on excess.
It is not trying to be quiet, and it certainly is not trying to please everyone. Thank goodness.
Because fashion is at its most interesting when it gives us something to react to, something to desire and something we might not have considered wearing before.
Cavalli has never been the house for shrinking into the background. Under Puglisi, it seems perfectly happy to remind us of that.
Cavalli is SO back. And I think we could all use a little more of that energy.
