Roberto Cavalli moves on to Marquee Brands, the latest instalment in a decade-long saga
The Emirati real estate company Damac, which held it since 2019, sold the majority of the brand founded in 1970 to the US company, which also has Bruno Magli in its portfolio
Marquee Brands has acquired a majority stake in the Roberto Cavalli brand from the Emirati real estate company Damac, founded and controlled by Hussain Sajwani, which had itself bought it in 2019. The deal will close by the summer, and Damac will remain "a significant shareholder" in the company, according to the deal statement.
"Roberto Cavalli is one of Italy's defining luxury brands, with a very distinct creative identity and enduring ethos," said Marquee Brands CEO Heath Golden. We see tremendous potential to build on this foundation through prudent brand management and strategic expansion'. According to the release, the agreement will extend the Cavalli brand into new categories and services worldwide.
"Roberto Cavalli is one of the most distinctive luxury brands in the world," added Hussain Sajwani. "After several years dedicated to consolidating the brand's foundations, we set out to find a strategic partner with the necessary expertise to take the brand to the next level.
Damac will continue to handle Cavalli's real estate development, with residences and other branded hospitality projects. The Level Group, a global e-commerce accelerator and technology partner for luxury and fashion brands, based in Milan, will handle the development, production and distribution of fashion collections, as well as retail and e-commerce.
Roberto Cavalli's creative director since 2020 has been Fausto Puglisi, who took up the legacy of the brand's founder, born in Florence in 1970, and led it until 2015, before handing over the creative vision first to Peter Dundas and then to Paul Surridge. The 1990s and 2000s were the heyday for the brand, loved worldwide for its bold prints, created by Roberto Cavalli: after the first printed jeans in 1988, Cavalli launched sandblasted jeans in 1994 and stretch jeans in 1995. In May 2015, after years of crisis, Claudio Sposito's private equity fund Clessidra acquired 90 per cent of the maison's capital for around €390 million, with the remaining 10 per cent remaining with Roberto Cavalli, who passed away at the age of 84 in 2024.
