"Fausto Puglisi Brings Marbleized Fashion to Roberto Cavalli"

Fausto Puglisi took the house of Roberto Cavalli somewhere rather new this season with a gutsy collection on Wednesday night inspired by marble and exotic stones. Call it Marbleized Mode.

Founder Roberto Cavalli was arguably the single most inventive printmaker in Italian fashion, and by breaking bold new terrain with these prints, Puglisi seemed very much in sync with the brand’s DNA.

What was remarkable was how he used the idea of marble in so many different fabrics, but always managed to make each look work. 

“I think marble is the new animal print,” insisted Puglisi, after he took a joint bow backstage with a score of screaming models.

Opening with a crinkly silk jumpsuit in black and white Calacatta fine grained while marble, dissected at the waist by a black mini; and following up with an engulfing puffer coat in the a larva like marble.

“It started with this obsession I have for collecting antique marbles, including ancient marbles from Rome. And then at Christmas time in Palermo, I fell in love with idea that marble would be the new animal print,” he added.

As a result, Puglisi worked the marble concept into a whole series of great looks. From embroideries to three-dimensional denim, and even including devoré, froissé and plissé fabrics.

He also broke the mold in some tailoring – like micro-coat dresses with flap pockets. Though the key element remained marble. Most boldly – a sexy skimpy lingerie cocktail in Statuarietto marble pattern of pale gray and alborea indigo. Most beautifully – several flat front pants and silk tops in Rosso Levanto marble, trumpeting the way iron oxide creates a spectacular pattern.

Fausto also threw in a whole black and green section at the finale – from Connemara green bodycon party dresses, to speckled Portoro semi-sheer rock star cocktails.

One could have perhaps done with a less intense soundtrack that German heavy metal band Rammstein, but it was a minor irritation in a show staged on a gray marble catwalk. Where the cast – attired in spike heel buccaneer’s boots - seemed very at home.

Summing up, Fausto’s term for the collection was spot on: Marbleous.