Roberto Cavalli announces new creative director

After just 18 months in the role, designer Peter Dundas left Roberto Cavalli last year, leaving the brand with a space that has today been filled. The incoming creative director is a Brit, Paul Surridge, who headed up of Z Zegna for four years, and has also served time at Burberry under Christopher Bailey and Jil Sander under Raf Simons.

“I am honoured and proud to carry forward the legacy of this extraordinary Italian house,” Surridge told the Business of Fashion today, “This is a unique opportunity to contribute a new chapter to the Roberto Cavalli universe.” Brand CEO Gian Giacomo Ferraris went on further to say, “We met a lot of candidates...but the (reason) we selected Paul is that next to his distinctive creative quality, he shows a strong interest in further developing the code of the house.”

And while his previous experience is specifically menswear-oriented, he will be taking complete creative control of the group’s brands – it will be interesting to see his take on the romantic and feminine creations that Cavalli is known for.

Surridge will be showing his first collection for the house at the women’s SS18 collections in Milan this September, so watch this space.