The movie, set in Sicily in the 1860s, stars Burt Lancaster as an Italian prince struggling to maintain a dying aristocracy, Alain Delon as his dashing nephew, and the beautiful Claudia Cardinale as Angelica, daughter of a rich former peasant who represents the new social order. Cavalli has chosen models Isabeli Fontana, Angela Lindvall, Raquel Zimmerman and Frankie Rayder to play the parts of Cardinale and the movie's other beauties in the ads.
"I've always been aesthetically fascinated by this film," Cavalli tells Women's Wear Daily. "I also find Il Gattopardo, a story that's based on the idea that 'the more it changes, the more it stays the same,' a good metaphor for fashion. In the campaign, the heroine - a sort of new Angelica - dances in the wilderness while a fire rages in the background; she represents the force of everything that is new, yet in the end she dresses like a romantic debutante." We think Fontana for one is perfectly cast as she bears an uncanny resemblance to Cardinale.
These quirky gecko cuff bracelets are so recognizably Cavalli, I can't think of another designer that could make sparkly reptiles look somewhat cool and fashionable. The shimmering Swarovski crystal lizard is toned down by the neutral wood body, making these bracelets a fun and playful addition to your summer accessory collection. Pick your color, fuchsia, blue or green... or a more wearable black (my favorite). Vivre.com carries the Roberto Cavalli Gecko Cuffs which retail for $625.
These stunning Roberto Cavalli Wooden Wedge Platform Sandals, kick any simple summer outfit into high gear. Towering 6 inch heels (+3 inch platforms) may have you teetering, but no one said fashion was easy, right? Soft leather in a basic creamy nude shade, is embellished with shiny silver hardware including studs and a large silver buckle. These fabulous wedges retail for $1,850 and are available online.
After several years of scrambling after hot new faces, a slew of the world's top fashion houses have decided to take a more classic approach for Spring/Summer '08, showcasing supermodels who ruled the Earth in the 1990s in their latest ad campaigns. The top indicator that the supes are back in town is artist Richard Prince's new campaign for the Louis Vuitton bags he designed, starring a gaggle of semi-retired stars: Stephanie Seymour, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer and Eva Herzigova, all sprawled on the hood of a kandy-kolored muscle car.
This season, Schiffer also appears in ads for Salvatore Ferragamo as well as Chanel, along with Christy Turlington, who's now also the face of Escada. Herzigova also stars in the new Roberto Cavalli and Chopard campaigns, while Shalom Harlow meanwhile does the honors for Valentino, Tumi and Jones New York.
Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli is known for flashy animal prints and plunging necklines, always pushing the envelop and not conforming...just a few of the reasons he is my favorite designer! These jeans have standard pockets, belt loops and stud detailing as well as the signature Cavalli fit and cut. What isn't standard or cheap is the thousand dollars worth of Swarovski crystal detailing the top! Available online for $1,275....be careful these gems don't get thrown in with your regular laundry!
My favorite designer Roberto Cavalli brings you the must have shoes for spring! At $625, these fierce platforms from his more affordable line Just Cavalli are the perfect addition to your shoe collection. An impressively high 6.5" heel (platform+heel) gives you legs for d-a-y-s and makes any sundress that much sunnier. A padded canvas insole means you won't leave these sitting in your closet like other amazing but uncomfortable shoes. I keep my Cavallis in frequent rotation because they never leave me limping no matter how long my day was. The best part about these Italian beauties is their rear view factor: the Cavalli logo scrawled on a shiny gold metal plate down the length of the heel!
Obviously the animal print trend is alive and well in the handbag world. I, for one, hope it stays that way. Designers keep finding new and interesting ways to employ these exotic patterns and I never tire of them. This one takes the jungle print uptown with gold accents and the result is stunning. The metallic gold leather trim highlights the pretty curves of the flap and the detachable chain strap adds even more elegance to the shimmery satin bag. I am, however, just about over the charm trend. This one sports five, hanging from a gold ring on the side of bag. Measuring 11"W x 6"H x 2½D, the bag sells for $1390.
Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli has already released a vodka but now his family is in the wine business. Cavalli's son Tommaso is in charge of the family wine business which will release two new wine brands: Cavalli Collection and Cavalli Selection. The grapes are grown at the Cavalli family estate, Tenuta degli Dei, in the Chianti region of Tuscany. The wines will be blends of Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Alicante Bouchet. The bottles will play into Cavalli's fashion designs with leopard-printed and RC-logo'd bottles. The first 5,000 bottles of Cavalli wine should hit the States early next year.
Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli doesn't do subtle. Case in point, his flashy spangled dresses for his new low-priced H&M line. Another more luxurious example as these limited edition sunglasses, named after his wife, Eva. The giant wraparound shades have amber lenses surrounded by gold metal with two of Cavalli's signature snake heads and metallic mesh arms. The packaging uses another Cavalli fave, animal prints and the case can be used as an evening clutch. The sunglasses sells for $640.
To appreciate the impact of this bag, consider its size: a roomy 15" x 15" with a 16½" across-the-body strap. It's big and beautifully shaped in a brown and black zebra print, cinched at the top with a slim leather belt. The gold-tone hardware on the buckle and rings has a pretty pebbly texture and inside it's fully lined. A stunning fall bag for $2590.
The view from afar of Roberto Cavalli's Laser Cut Metallic Clutch just doesn't' do the bag justice because the bag has a level of detail that is unmatched by just about every bag we've seen this season. The bag is made out of high-quality leather that has been coated to have a mirror-like silver finish. The leather is laser cut into an intricate Asian-inspired pattern, with a number of dragons writhing across the bag's surface. It has a long metal chain shoulder strap, which is detachable to make the clutch hand-held, and there is a snap to secure the bag on the top flap. It measures 12"L x 4"H x 1.5"W. Price: $1,015.
Embellished with multi-faceted stones, Roberto Cavalli's luxurious Maltese Pendant has a edge yet a softness about it. The various shades of purple and striking black stones exude a mixed feeling of delicateness and unyielding strength, while the gold becomes the backdrop to balance it all out. I think hanging from a longer chain, maybe about 30", where the pendant would sit at the center of your chest, would make this pendant even more eye catching. The pendant measures at 4" and, as shown here, hangs from a 22" gold chain. Price: $375.
The rich embossing on this Grande Bag from Roberto Cavalli is just beautiful and adds a lot of much-needed dimension to a simple bag. It is a large purse, as you might guess from the name, and measures 16" x 13.5" x 8", tapering up to narrower, zippered top closure. The bag has soft, rolled leather handles and is very comfortable to carry. All the hardware is golden and, in a contrast to the basic look of the bag's exterior, the purse has a leopard-print satin lining. Price: $1,520.
Unlike both the cake and the charm, these twobracelets from Roberto Cavalli have little more to do with the movie Snakes on a Plane than timing. But timing can make for the start of a trend, and perhaps snakes are it. One bracelet ($215, pictured at bottom right) is made from gold metal with either a black or orange stone in the serpent's head. The other snake bracelet ($275, top right) is gold with enameled scales in black or green and is adorned with small Strauss crystals. Both have hinges that open slightly to allow the bracelets to be slipped onto a wrist.
The Freedom Bag by Roberto Cavalli has an appropriate name for the Handbag of the Day on Memorial Day. The bag is a medium, nylon fabric shoulder bag that features a textured leather strap and borders. The red fabric is a bold, bright red and actually has the designer's logo woven throughout the material, though an unusual weave gives the whole piece a rippling effect and conceals the name in places. From a distance, this design merely gives the bag a textured appearance. A metal accent, which is also engraved with the designer's logo, is used to embellish the basic bag. The Freedom bag zips closed and has one inside pocket. Price: $208.
Italian designer Roberto Cavalli has chosen four top models to replace Kate Moss (right) in his new Fall/Winter 2008-09 ad campaign. The campaign, to be shot by Inez van Lamsweerde and Vinoodh Matadin, is inspired by one of our favorite movies, Luchino Visconti's 1963 Il Gattopardo ("The Leopard), based on the book by Giuseppe Tomasi Di Lampedusa. 
The Freedom Bag
