Milan Fashion Week: Surprise Hits Roberto Cavalli + 6267

I had to see it to believe it (and, because of a party thrown by my publisher in London last night, I had to rush to the internet to see it) but the Roberto Cavalli was the hit of Milan fashion week. He took a dramatically divergent tact from his sexy and loud prints of yore and went bohemian. It couldn't have come at a better time. Everyone loved Cavalli when he re-emerged. But then they got bored. And he got too closely associated with Posh spice and, well, we all assumed that Cavalli was just Cavalli and would be until maybe it became Versace. But now it is a show editors will watch when figuring out what to wear in the upcoming months -- an important distinction where fashion heat is concerned.

I wonder how much of the change was due to his wife, Eva. She's the hands-on manager of the business and has been for years, but always left the designing to him. But you couldn't imagine a woman more different than what was the Cavalli woman. Spring 08's Cavalli woman is very, very Eva Cavalli. Whatever is up at Cavalli, I suspect it is more than a mistake. Vanessa Friedman and I even liked Just Cavalli, the diffusion line that was, um, god-awful when it launched.

There have also been reports that Roberto wants to be bought by Richemont -- or by anyone. I heard from a M&A-side guy that this is a game he's been playing for a while. He invites offers, listens, smiles and, at the last moment, says, "Nope." Well, with a collection like this it is likely that the offers will keep coming.

The other big hit was 6267. They are new to me, but they have the simple with a twist shapes that make for a collection that is interesting, yet (and this is critical for this town) commercially appealing.

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