What we learnt about Roberto Cavalli while he was in Dubai

Roberto Cavalli at the second annual Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience (Photo by John Phillips/Getty Images for Vogue & The Dubai Mall)

Roberto Cavalli charmed fans during his turn as a guest speaker at Fashion Talks, the series of lectures held as part of Vogue Fashion Dubai Experience. Here’s what we learnt about the fashion great:

The man loves denim. “Denim means freedom,” said the designer, before detailing how this most versatile of materials can be integrated into any outfit, for any occasion.

And women. His entire fashion ethos hinges on “trying to understand what a woman wants and to help make them beautiful.”

His muse? Women that he admires, he explained, singling out Franca Sozzani, the editor-in-chief of Vogue Italia, who was also in Dubai for the event. “Franca is the queen of my planet fashion.”

He views fashion as a force for good. A good design “changes the life” of a customer, he said. “Fashion is positive.”

He is no stranger to the world of celebrity, having dressed some of the world’s most recognisable women, but there are some celebrities that even he is nervous about being around, apparently – including Julia Roberts, Al Pacino and Robert de Niro.

This is his advice for young fashion designers: “Bring new ideas. Be different. Take risks.”