If you heard the name Roberto Cavalli today, you would think of the successful fashion house found in New York City, but this has not always been the case.  After being born and raised in the inspirational city of Florence, Italy, Cavalli began his career in the industry as a textile printer for an Italian knitwear line. He eventually set up his own boutique in Saint-Tropez, but the shop closed soon after without much success.  He then launched a men's line in 1974, but it did not progress as he had hoped it would.

 In the early nineties, Cavalli gave it one more shot with a jean line called Just Cavalli.  Soon after the launch of the jean line, he began showing his women's' lines and they were very well received.  When good fortune finally found him in 1999, he opened his first United States boutique on Madison Avenue in New York City.  Even though Roberto Cavalli found many barricades in the road on his way to stardom, he has without question made his mark in the fashion industry.

 

I have always had an inner Bohemian yearning in my soul roaring to get out, dive into my wardrobe and be seen. So I was absolutely elated when I viewed the Roberto Cavalli collection for Fall 2010.  The designs were not just slightly Bohemian, but they were screaming with this earthy style for all women to hear.  One could also detect a slight nod to the Renaissance look that has recently been neglected for the military trend's popularity and let's not forget those occasional appearances of leopard, tiger, and snakeskin prints.

 "Shaggy Boots"

As if a wooly fur overcoat wasn't a big enough statement, the shaggy boots gave a final shock with fur almost exploding from them as the model swaggered down the runway.  Jumpsuits have been gaining favor and acceptance by most fashionistas these days, but instead of sticking to the usual lucid black jumpsuit, Cavalli opted for silk jumpers enveloped in fascinatingly beautiful animal prints.  The jumpsuits were never left to stand on their own and if they were not covered in bulky fur outwear,  they were covered with furry vests and fluffy cropped jackets.  I caught sight of the long flowing dresses with ivory floral appliqués and thought they were not quite wedding appropriate unless an added fur collar passes for wedding attire. 

It was not hard to spot the occasional Renaissance motif that Cavalli was obviously infatuated with this season.  The elongated black velvet coats could hardly be overlooked; especially the elegant coats that displayed gleaming gold botanical patterns that seemed to resemble old vintage tapestries.  The apparel designs were not the only pieces being piled over and over each other again.  Almost every look in the collection was finished with a cross-body bag and a cascading scarf wrapped carefully around the neck.  Some scarves were even draped over the hair as if there were no time to place it around the neck where it belongs. Although Cavalli went with this season's brown smoky-eyed look and contoured face, he resorted to the typical Bohemian lax hairstyle with a middle part and long streaming locks.

There was such a countless amount of layers to be found with each individual ensemble that I found myself overwhelmed at times processing the overall theme of the collection.  Even though it might seem rare to combine whimsical Bohemian trends with Renaissance styles and animal prints, it seemed to work effortlessly and without rivalry.

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Designer Roberto Cavalli

Images Roberto Cavalli / Style.com

Fashion Writer Angela Deaton

Editor Meghan Holliday

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