Backstage at the Italian Stock Exchange, Fausto Puglisi contemplated the world’s less-than-happy state and the unsettling ubiquity of women on social media. Feeling the need for change, he embarked on a creative pivot.

Gone were the Miami Beach pinks of the previous season and the animal motifs from before. Instead, Puglisi delved into something deeply personal: his fascination with Italian marble. While prints have always been integral to Cavalli (alongside denim), the brand’s founder leaned toward animals and vegetables rather than minerals. Inspired by photographs from his Sicilian holiday—capturing local churches and historic structures adorned with various marble types—Puglisi crafted his collection.

Breaking away from archival prints, he charted his own course. The language of slip dresses, bias cuts, plissé, and dévoré remained, but he infused them with an urban edge. The result? A departure that underscored the importance of a designer’s individual vision over strict adherence to a house’s original style.

Perhaps “strong” better describes this transformation than “tough.” The Fortuny-esque pleats gracing camisoles and midi-skirts exuded a welcome softness. Meanwhile, a velvet swing dress, patterned like ornate wallpaper, cascaded with a cape-like back. Even the floor-length dévoré dresses, meticulously replicating marble’s veins and flakes, managed to be both intricate and effortlessly wearable. And let’s not forget the crinkly slip dresses, their mottled prints resembling tie-dye. In this marble-infused metamorphosis, Cavalli found elegance anew. 

Devotees of Cavalli—formerly known as glamazons—need not fret over Puglisi’s shift in direction. While the collection featured an abundance of skin-revealing cocktail dresses and ultra-short skirts, its standout pieces were those that incorporated more fabric. The material itself became the narrative.