Fashion designer Roberto Cavalli was born on November 15, 1940, in Florence, Italy.

His grandfather was Giuseppe Rossi, a painter representing the Macchiaioli school, and he grew up in an environment where art was close to him from an early age. He majored in printing techniques at the Florence Art Academy. After graduating, he developed an all-over printing technique for silk products, which attracted great attention in the industry.

In 1970, he founded his eponymous brand, "Roberto Cavalli," and presented his first collection in Paris. At that time, it was his leather-printed evening gowns that attracted particular attention. In 1972, he applied this technique to jeans and presented a work in Florence. He also creates patchworks combining different fabrics, which have become one of the brand's signature styles.

In 1994, he officially participated in the Milan Collection, which has since become the venue for presenting the brand's new products. In 2007, he became the first Italian to collaborate with H&M. In 2013, he was awarded an honorary master's degree in fashion management by the design school Domus Academy.

In his private life, he married former Miss Universe Eva Duhringer in 1980. She became the head of the creative department and became his partner in both his public and private life.