No brand captures the drama and allure of Italian fashion quite like Roberto Cavalli. In 2020, when Fausto Puglisi took the helm as creative director in 2020, he told Vogue he wanted to “develop ideas of inclusion, beauty, and amplify the dialogue between cultures, diversity, and multiplied aesthetics.” In the years since, he has done just that and more. His revival of the brand into a global powerhouse has been nothing short of remarkable. This award season, Puglisi dressed the most intrepid red carpet darlings, including a leather-clad Olivia Rodrigo at the Vanity Fair Oscar Party and a feathered Cardi B at the Grammys.
While reverential to the brand’s history and its signature bravado, Puglisi brings a thoughtfulness to his work that his predecessors largely resisted. (In Mr. Cavalli’s 2024 obituary, The New York Times wrote the “flesh-baring clothes were not for introverts…nor was his brand intellectual.”) For Fall 2025, Puglisi drew inspiration from Pompeii, the ancient city buried in ash by Mount Vesuvius two thousand years ago. A visit to the site as a child left a lasting impression and created an enduring source of inspiration. The resulting collection was magnificent: a celebration of energy and power. Still, despite the volcanic inspiration, Vogue’s Nicole Phelps noted that the clothes “had a softness, even a sweetness, that the house founder might not recognize were he around to see them.”
On Friday night, Puglisi hosted a glittering dinner at the Hotel Principe Di Savoia in partnership with Vogue100. Bruno Bugiani and Kenneth Pope of Manifesto Flowers transformed the ballroom with towering arrangements of roses and orchids. Painted ferns and vines stretched across the sky-blue ceiling, echoing the famous frescoes preserved by the eruption. Crystal chandeliers shimmered, reflecting the warm glow of the candelabras that lined the tables.
Vogue Italia’s Marta Oldrini co-hosted the affair, standing alongside Puglisi as he held court with infectious warmth. The designer radiated the same white-hot charisma that his creations exude on the runway.
As they sipped Champagne in their Cavalli looks, attendees showcased the brand’s versatility. The diverse mix of women—from pop stars to plastic surgeons—proved Puglisi’s talent for bringing out the goddess in anyone. Singer Annalisa, jewelry designer Ashna Mehta, and philanthropist Amanda Curtis all wore zebra-printed ensembles but each was uniquely styled to reflect their personalities.
After guests sat for dinner, Puglisi rose to address the revelers. “Italian Vogue and American Vogue represent so much to me,” he said. “When I was a kid, I asked my grandfather for American Vogue. In Sicily, there was just one place where you could find it and I would say, ‘I can’t live without American Vogue.’ It was an obsession.”
The dinner, fueled by laughter and conversation, stretched on late into the night.
