Roberto Cavalli Suede Jacket

Whether they’re adorned with understated floral patterns or colorful prints that draw on the wonders of the animal kingdom, vintage Roberto Cavalli dresses and evening gowns, shirts and skirts are unapologetically exuberant. All of the seductive garments crafted at the luxury fashion house have long been associated with extravagance and red-carpet sophistication, and their stories begin in Central Italy.

Roberto Cavalli was born in Florence, Tuscany, in 1940 into an already artistically rich family — his mother was a tailor, and his grandfather, Giuseppe Rossi, was a member of an Italian art movement called Macchiaioli that shared common ground with Impressionist painters. Cavalli was creative at the onset and focused on textiles at the Florence Academy of Art. He garnered some high-profile attention with bold prints on knitwear.

After he patented an experimental and revolutionary process that saw him printing on lightweight leather, Cavalli secured commissions from major fashion houses such as Hermès and Pierre Cardin. He explored integrating handmade ornamentation in his designs and found limitless inspiration in the majestic creatures of the jungle.

In the early 1970s Cavalli unveiled his first namesake collection in Paris and the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti in Florence. He then opened his inaugural boutique in France’s Saint-Tropez in 1972. While the designer’s printed denim offerings were deemed unsophisticated by the day’s couturiers — they looked down upon the material — Cavalli’s form-fitting, sensual cuts, innovative patchwork and obvious dedication to impeccable craftsmanship found admirers in the likes of Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot.

In 1980 Cavalli married former beauty pageant contestant Eva Düringer, who became his trusted business partner. Now a signature of the label, the pair introduced their first sand-blasted jeans in 1994 and later opened boutiques in Venice and elsewhere.

Cavalli’s designs sold all over the world, and the brand’s success helped pave the way for the introduction of a line called Just Cavalli that targeted younger consumers and RC Menswear to complement the array of day dresses, shoes, lingerie and coats and outerwear that were offered in his popular boutiques.

In 2005 Cavalli was asked to help reinvigorate Playboy’s iconic bunny costumes and, in 2006, model Kate Moss starred in his spring/summer ad campaign. A year later, Cavalli created an exclusive collection for H&M and designed costuming for Jennifer Lopez concerts as well as the Spice Girls.

Sicilian designer Fausto Puglisi was appointed creative consultant in 2020 at the Roberto Cavalli brand, which is now owned by Vision Investments.

Find vintage Roberto Cavalli clothing, accessories, handbags and purses and more on 1stDibs.

No matter if you’re preparing for a fashion event or a weather event — you’re going to need a good jacket.

What would become the modern jacket as we know it began as a strictly professional item. A lot of the vintage and designer jackets (and coat styles such as the Navy-inspired peacoat) in our closets were likely popularized by soldiers who battled aggressive climes with their regulation field jackets, bombers and parkas buttoned or zipped to the chin. Indeed, keeping troopers comfortable guided the design of the military surplus garments that have often become buzzy fashion trends. But now, jackets add far more than warmth to our wardrobe, and we hunt down outer layers branded with peerless fashion labels.

Fashion’s most iconic creations, despite their age, remain modern: Biker jackets originated in the 1920s, Balenciaga’s celebrated puffers are steeped in a tradition of down coats that began in the 1930s and your vintage denim jacket has come an even longer way, from California Gold Rush to wardrobe staple. Jeans bequeathed jean jackets during the 1880s, thanks to Levi Strauss, who crafted the former as a durable garment to be worn by miners and railroad workers. Later, jeans and jean jackets became synonymous with nonconformity and rebelliousness — with fashion legends such as actor James Dean in the 1950s and model Veruschka in the 1960s and ’70s leading the indigo-toned charge.

Another fashion rebel, Coco Chanel, used the classic tweed jacket to introduce more comfort and mobility into women’s daily lives. Debuting in 1954 and based on a cardigan, the groundbreaking Chanel jacket forever changed what women wear. The garment reacted against the fitted, constricting styles of Christian Dior’s New Look, which, as Chanel saw it, was making women dress like decorative objects.

On 1stDibs, find bold collections from cutting-edge contemporary designers who’ve taken the classic silhouette of the jacket to new heights or build out your array of vintage treasures (denim or otherwise) with dazzlers from Yves Saint Laurent, Gianni Versace, Moschino and more.