I don’t know if Roberto Cavalli, Bottega Veneta and Pucci are all in some quite frantic Whatsapp group but if not the fact that they all showed on the same day proves there is a dark and mysterious fashion week telepathy at play. Sure those brands are different as can be, but there was a shared sensibility for A/W 15. Whatever happened with Moschino and Prada, by Saturday the pull of the modern seemed to have lost its grip and instead we were adrift in a sea of heavy, glamorous nostalgia. In a tribute to the excess of the early-eighties, Cavalli went all out this season, with a spotlight on lush fur collars, leopard print and new romantic ruffles and cuffs in rich mustard yellows and cream. There were references to that other classic era of hedonism too, with Grecian style draped pleated dresses cut out and embellished with gold rings. Of course nostalgia Cavalli-style is nostalgia dripping in cash, and there’s no question you get what you pay for.
Models with immaculately ruffled hair and painstakingly smudged eyeliner strode down the runway in fur mini skirts and alligator jackets. When he balanced the glamour was when it really worked; a wonderfully roomy khaki corduroy parka was a nod to a very different kind of eighties woman more likely to be found asleep in a field than posing on a club dance floor, while angora jumpers also helped to soften the hardness. It was a strong offering and a welcome update on the never-ending suede army let loose across the runways this season. There was some questionable fringing but then it probably wouldn’t be Cavalli if there wasn’t.
