In fashion's second generation, Roberto Cavalli's son has launched a new brand
Robert Cavalli, son of Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, talks about his new brand, current fashion and how he copes with being compared to his father.
On the penultimate day of Pitti Uomo, Robert Cavalli, son of Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, presented the first capsule collection for his personal label Triple RRR in a serene sculpture studio on the south bank of the Arno River in Florence.
Everything was quiet until the guests arrived at the studio in the rain.
Robert Cavalli stepped in confidently, his dark hair slicked back and his voice soft.
Juxtaposed with Renaissance sculptures and sculptural tools are mannequins in velvet and silk button-down coats and coats, as well as jacquard joggers with pomegranate embroidery.
In addition to the metal watch and Nike Vapormax shoes, Cavalli himself wore all black, gold glasses and a tunic-like button-down jacket from his new collection.
He has a tattoo on his hand with the letter "R" and is soon explaining the meaning of his new brand's three "R's" : Roberto stands for his father; Robert stands for himself, and the third "R," he laughs, stands for the brand itself.
On the big day of his debut, the 24-year-old, who has never formally studied fashion design, showed no signs of anxiety.
After all, with a name like that, is there any need to be anxious? His father built an empire in the 1970s and '80s, creating wardrobes for the rich and famous and leaving his mark on late 20th century fashion with glitter, glitter and floral prints.
Choosing to enter a field where his father played a seminal role has certainly brought criticism, something Cavalli is mindful of despite coming from a fashion family.
As Roberto's son, is it harder or easier to work in the industry?
"That's all," he said. "I don't know anything. People ask me, 'How does it feel? 'I don't know. If I had lived two different lives, I could tell you. But I am who I am."
But Cavalli's work is aimed at a different demographic. His designs are the kind of clothes you would wear to a dinner party in an Italian villa, not the kind of attire appropriate for a dark nightclub in Berlin's Kreuzberg. The clothes were inspired by homewear, he said. "It's an exploration of streetwear."
Cavalli's clothes look gorgeous, and the prices are pretty gorgeous: the soft cashmere coats, which cost about 1,800 euros, are in keeping with the kind of lifestyle that Cavalli himself often showcases on Instagram.
In one photo, he is wearing a bow tie and suit, lying on the beach smoking a hookah. Another photo shows him posing with NatashaPoly, the supermodel who regularly walks for his father's label.
Should these clothes also inspire people to pursue such a life?
"I think it's an old way of thinking to sell a lifestyle through clothes," he said. That's what my parents did, a beautiful thing - they were selling a way of life. But I don't think that's the modern way, I don't think that's the young way. I'm trying to create a new fashion code for what I think is the next trend. Cavalli proposes a return to the street trends that have dominated menswear fashion for the past five years, a return to classic tailoring, but with the former's comfortable and casual standards.
In an age when Balenciaga shows hoodies and Louis Vuitton is collaborating with Supreme, who are Triple RRR's real customers? "Most of the clothes, I can figure out who to wear," he explained. "This person, a friend of mine, is Korean or Saudi or Russian. Very international."
Younger people are not so easy to determine. "There's really no real age range. It's the younger generation who want to be a little more mature, "he concluded.
