“Fashion is my life. I live it and I breathe it,” says Fausto Puglisi, the designer behind the ionic Roberto Cavalli brand. Fausto brought that passion to Dubai Fashion Week with a one-of-a-kind presentation that highlighted the brand’s Italian craftsmanship, his Sicilian bravado and the company’s connection to the region, in a series of capsule and never-before-seen looks, which closed out the week-long event at the Dubai Design District.  

Since he first joined Roberto Cavalli during the pandemic, Fausto has been living his best life as a fashion designer. Taking on the challenge with gusto to restore the label to its essence. Mixing legendary prints and a timeless sensuality aesthetic with a fresh perspective crafted for the sartorial needs of modern women.

During an exclusive interview before his show, Fausto’s excitement for the presentation was palpable. There was a real anticipation in his voice, a mix of pride, nostalgia and honest curiosity about how the regional audience would receive his lineup.

He crafted the show as a tribute to both the genre-defining work of founder Roberto Cavalli and his only deeply personal journey with the house. Over the past four years that Fausto has been at the helm of Cavalli, his designs have been able to breathe new life into the brand while staying true to Cavalli’s wild, bold Italian spirit. 

But this latest chapter, set against the opulence of Dubai, also feels in many ways like something of a homecoming. The Cavalli brand’s connection with the Middle East runs deeper than most would expect, as the company is owned by Hussain Sajwani, Chairman of Dubai-based DAMAC Properties. For Fausto, the UAE represents more than just a glamorous backdrop. It’s the women of the region who have left a lasting impression. "Middle Eastern women are so chic, so sophisticated," he says. "They embrace tradition while being utterly modern." He also is quick to point out that his friendship with the owner’s wife and daughter has deepened his understanding of the region. "Their strength, elegance, and openness to new ideas reflect what I want this collection to represent."

The designer also shares that he once lived in Istanbul for a year. During that time he “ fell in love with the culture, the people, the mix of old and new. It’s a place that celebrates both its traditions and its modernity, much like Dubai,”  he says. This understanding of balance, between past and present, between tradition and innovation, is at the heart of Fausto’s latest collection, one that promises to captivate not only Dubai’s fashion elite but the world beyond.

As Fausto speaks about the late Roberto Cavalli, the reverence in his voice is unmistakable. He recalls how Cavalli’s designs took the fashion world by storm, with their sensual animal prints and bold motifs that were impossible to ignore. “Roberto had this incredible ability to take something from nature and turn it into something fierce and feminine,” Fausto explains. "It wasn’t just about fashion; it was about creating an identity for women who wanted to be seen." The designer knew that when he took over at Cavalli, he had a real responsibility to honour that legacy. 

And so, when he began designing the Resort Collection that was shown in Dubai, Fausto looked back to two of the founder’s most iconic prints: the zebra and the rose. These motifs, with their wild energy and romantic flair, form the foundation of the new offering. "Women today are stronger, more empowered," Fausto says. “After #MeToo, there’s a new understanding of femininity, and I wanted to capture that." Therefore his version of the zebra print is more nuanced, while the rose motifs are reimagined with a delicate strength. The collection is a tribute to Roberto Cavalli’s legacy – reinterpreted for today’s woman.

As for the show itself, the lucky guests who attended the presentation were in for a treat as they not only saw pieces from the brand’s latest resort collection. In true Fausto fashion, the designer created a special capsule collection, exclusively for the occasion. “I was in Venice,” he recalls, his voice filled with excitement. “And I was struck by the craftsmanship of the Murano glass artisans. Their work is so detailed, so intricate, and I thought, ‘What if I could bring that same artistry to fashion?’” And so, he did. This capsule collection, inspired by the beauty of Murano glass, is unlike anything the designer has done previously. The pieces are fluid yet structured, shimmering with a delicacy that mirrors the fragility and strength of the glass itself. These designs, which had never been seen before and were shown in Dubai, and were a gift from Fausto to a city that captured his imagination.

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