Roberto Cavalli was born in Italy into an artistic family in 1940. His grandfather was a 19th-century artist, and the young Cavalli studied art. He focused on textile printing and is known for creating sandblasting for jeans, as well as stylish creations and animal prints. Cavalli created and patented a printing process that allowed unique patchwork designs to be printed on leather in a selection of different materials. After showing the technique in Paris in 1970, he was commissioned by leading fashion designers such as Pierre Cardin and Hermes. He opened a boutique in Saint-Tropez in 1972, and his designs were popularized by Brigitte Bardot.

Cavalli met his second wife, Eva Duringer, at the 1977 Miss Universe Pageant where he was a judge, and she was a contestant from Austria. They married in 1980 and became partners in life and business. In 1994, he introduced sandblasted jeans in Milan and opened boutiques in Venice and the French Caribbean.

His fashions are sold in more than 50 countries, and in 1998, Cavalli began expanding the company’s line, which now includes both women’s and men’s wear, watches, glasses, jewelry, beachwear and perfume. He opened cafe-stores in Milan and Florence beginning in 2002.

His fragrance line has a base of 25 scents. The first, Roberto Cavalli for Women, was launched in 2002 and in 2014, Just Cavalli Gold for Her was released.