Animal print has never really left Roberto Cavalli. For Spring/Summer 2027, Fausto Puglisi doesn’t try to move away from it either.
Instead of getting rid of it, he keeps adding to it — flowers, metallics, crystals, sheer fabrics, oversized animal imagery — until the Cavalli woman feels like she has stepped into a world somewhere between a tropical night, a 1970s club and the wild.
The show opened on a glossy black runway surrounded by a tightly packed audience, with heavy bass and the kind of dramatic club music that could have come straight from an old-school fashion show. The first looks immediately established the mood: deep reds, magenta, soft pinks and earthy greens mixed with leopard, tiger-like markings and floral prints.
The prints were everywhere, but rarely alone. A leopard pattern could sit next to a flower; a tiger print could cover a sheer layer; a huge tiger’s face could stretch across an entire silk dress. One of the strongest looks combined several of Roberto Cavalli’s signatures at once: a low-cut, patchworked maxi dress in pink and red florals, leopard and animal motifs, moving around the body as the model walked.
Floral taking over animal print?
I don’t think so. They work too well together. A match made in heaven, or in nature – maybe both. The flowers and animal prints were carefully layered rather than competing with each other, making even the busiest looks feel surprisingly balanced.
The dresses were fluid and loose, with sheer fabrics moving around the body instead of being held in rigid shapes. Robe-like maxi dresses appeared alongside tiny skirts and mini dresses, while capes and long layers followed the movement of the models.
The body remained central, though. Deep cuts, tiny tops, low-slung trousers and barely-there dresses kept the collection firmly in Roberto Cavalli territory. Some of the hottest looks were also the simplest: a printed bra top with embellished denim.
Then came the sparkle.
One of the most thought-out looks played with contrast: A sheer, glittering mini dress combined a lingerie-like bodice with layers of pink floral appliqué and fuzzy, frayed detailing around the uneven hem. It felt romantic and boudoir-like, with a touch of vintage glamour without becoming too precious.
Huge dark sunglasses gave some of the looks a slightly retro attitude, while platform heels pushed the silhouettes even further.
The hair was big, fuzzy and deliberately undone, framing a cast of models whose natural features stood out against the maximalist clothes. The effect was less polished glamour and more hot, wild and slightly dangerous.
The animal isn’t going anywhere at Roberto Cavalli. And why should it? The house has been playing with animal prints for decades, making them one of its most recognisable codes. Puglisi has repeatedly returned to the archive while putting his own spin on familiar Cavalli motifs.
For SS27, that instinct becomes even more obvious.
The snake is still there, but it shares the space with leopard, flowers and giant tiger imagery. Rather than treating the archive as something to carefully preserve, Puglisi seems to keep asking how much can be piled onto it before it becomes something new.
The final walk made that idea even more literal. The runway disappeared into red light, broken up by flashes of white, turning the room into something closer to a night in the wild than a traditional fashion show. With the music pushing harder and the prints reflecting the light, the collection ended exactly where it had started: unapologetically Cavalli.
The front row also brought its own share of attention, with Cardi B and Olandria among the familiar faces watching the collection.
Some fashion houses spend years trying to escape their most recognizable codes. Cavalli seems to be doing the opposite. After all these years, there is still something exciting about seeing how far he can push them. The animal print stays — it just keeps changing its skin.