< PreviousWhen Roberto Cavalli fi rst asked the young Fausto Puglisi to join the House, he turned him down. “I was living in LA, I had my own line, I didn’t want to leave America. He invited me to his home in Florence, but I said no, because I wanted to stay in the US and I didn’t want to come back to Italy,” he recalls of the founder’s proposal for the prodigious young talent to lead the brand’s creative direction for dressing celebrities and musicians. What changed his mind? Th e pandemic, for one, followed by a phone call from self-made billionaire Hussain Sajwani, founder and chairman of DAMAC Properties, heralding the beginnings of a love story with Dubai. Private investment fi rm DAMAC Group acquired Roberto Cavalli in 2019, and after being handpicked by Sajwani himself, Fausto was appointed Cavalli’s Creative Director in 2020. “I will be grateful to Mr Sajwani forever,” acknowledges the Sicilian-born designer. “He gave me a beautiful challenge, a chance when it was the Covid moment. And when I received his call about the possibility to take the creative direction of Cavalli, I was in heaven. Of course, it was such a huge challenge and I will thank him forever.” Fausto wowed Cavalli’s new owner with an exciting vision for the future of the House, with a renewed global mindset. “I believe in dialogues between diff erent cultures. So I created diff erent kinds of women from the places I like most. I could imagine a woman from Dubai meeting a woman from LA, meeting a woman from Milan and a woman from Shanghai.” He adds, “And of course I love dialogues. I don’t like walls; I like possibility. And that’s why I like to come to the Middle East, because in young generations, there’s a beautiful respect for heritage and traditions but a curiosity for the future. And the way they mix these two opposites, it’s so modern, so beautiful, and loyal.” Th ese early ideas have crystalised into a more clearly defi ned philosophy that “the brand does not defi ne a single Roberto Cavalli woman; rather, it celebrates the diverse personalities and styles that each woman embodies”. Unlike the replica shows from luxury brands that have graced the Gulf – such as Dior Couture in 2019, a Chanel Cruise show in 2021, and even a Dolce&Gabbana Alta Moda show in AlUla, Saudi Arabia in 2022 – Roberto Cavalli’s appearance as guest of honour at Dubai Fashion Week Spring/Summer 2025 was more than just Fresh from Dubai Fashion Week’s ery nale, Fausto Puglisi reveals the emirate’s essential role in the reinvention of Roberto Cavalli WORDS ALISON TAY LOUD LUXURY 68GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM GME_011_068to071_Roberto Cavalli_13399503.indd 6801/10/2024 21:19GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM69 GME_011_068to071_Roberto Cavalli_13399503.indd 6901/10/2024 21:1970GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM GME_011_068to071_Roberto Cavalli_13399503.indd 7001/10/2024 21:20a happy coincidence or a heavy dose of star power. Th anks to the House’s strong connections to the city, it served as something of a homecoming. “Of course when Dubai Fashion Week invited me, I was like, ‘Wow, let’s do it!’” Fausto admits. Th e Resort 2025 show – spliced with an additional capsule collection inspired by the artistry of Venice’s Murano glass – marked the zenith of seven days of presentations and showrooms from 1-7 September 2024, at Dubai Fashion Week. Established by d3 and the Arab Fashion Council, it included beloved home-grown brands such as Dima Ayad and Mrs Keepa, plus international names such as Adolfo Dominguez and Weinsainto. On the Dubai Fashion Week catwalk, Fausto’s recipe for re-energising Roberto Cavalli featured a radically graphic reapplication of the House’s animal-print calling card – zoomed-in, hand-etched, or depicting the whole animal, rather than reducing it to its markings. “I tell you why, because I’m tired of everything that’s been overdone,” he sighs. “Everybody does leopard print, animal print… everybody, you can fi nd everywhere. So I said, ‘Let’s try to retranslate the animal print, which is the most classic of codes, in an individual way.” Th e result? A Stetson-strewn collection stamped in striking zebra stripes, magnifi ed rose print, and glossy python pieces, ranging from the daring to the demure against the Giorgio Moroder-produced sonic backdrop of I Feel Love by Donna Summer and Supernature by Cerrone, with the relentless guitar riff of Call Me by Blondie sound-tracking the heart-pounding fi nale. Fausto’s career in fashion has come a long way since his days as a cloakroom attendant at Robert de Niro’s Tribeca restaurant, admiring the Cavalli store from afar. “It was in the early 2000s, and I was very young. I used to live in New York at the time, and so I remember because I was a waiter at Tribeca Grill, where my cousin was a chef, and you’d see so many celebrities that I’m dressing now,” he remembers. “I was a disaster with dishes so he put me in the wardrobe immediately,” he laughs. “So at the time, I had no money, and I used to marvel at the Roberto Cavalli store on Madison Avenue, and how huge it was. Sharon Stone, Jennifer Lopez, Madonna, Destiny’s Child… everybody was in Cavalli. It was Cavalli, Cavalli, Cavalli.” Nearly a quarter of a century later, via his eponymous label founded in 2013, and a dedicated celebrity following in his own right, the creative director is well aware that we live in very diff erent times. “Today, a designer no longer decides how a woman should be dressed. Th is is a relic from the ’80s. Now a designer should listen to women, and I love this approach very much. I have a considerable respect for these women and I like to serve them – of course, with my own taste.” He continues, “I’m very passionate and careful about how the world is changing. We are not in the early 2000s anymore. If you think about the progress in the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I have to translate fashion thinking to today. I cannot think about the past. And there are so many beautiful changes I like to focus on. So I try to design with respect and understanding how the world is changing.” It’s an ambitious balance between the halcyon days of the House and the exacting demands of today’s real women, but it’s a duality Fausto is determined to reconcile. “Cavalli is a celebration of Italian heritage – the prints, the colours, the sexiness, the beauty,” he explains. “At the same time, what I’m trying to say is ‘let’s try to give a sense of modernity and a contemporary attitude to what I design by thinking about diff erent kinds of women’, that’s all. I’m not a revolutionary. I’m trying just to do my job, thinking about what women want now.” Yet, in an era of quiet luxury, is there still space for the exuberance and excess of the Roberto Cavalli universe? “Quiet luxury is about your own philosophy, the way you live, the way you breathe, your culture, your experience, your friends, your people, your family,” Fausto points out, albeit confessing that he himself is wearing Loro Piana. “It’s not about just a way of dressing, because trends can destroy individuality. I believe in individuality. Cavalli is a brand connected to diff erent individualities with big personalities. And thank goodness there are a lot of women who want to be unique, and want to have fun. And here we are here for these people. Th e others have quiet luxury.” Fausto says he hopes his era at Cavalli will be remembered for its “self-expression, female empowerment, and sense of freedom”. And among the greatest endorsements of his tenure to date, he reveals, “What I’m very happy about is that there are so many Gen Z and young customers, but also a new wave of celebrities. For instance, I’m very happy and honoured to see J-Lo, Madonna and Beyoncé wearing Cavalli. But when I see people like FKA Twigs or Doja Cat, who represent the youngest demographic buying or wearing the pieces I create, I feel good because this means I am able to dialogue with the youngest generation as well, which is so important for me.” From our animated, caff eine-fuelled conversations with Fausto, amid the excitement of Dubai Fashion Week, the word that comes up again and again is ‘dialogue’ – cultural exchanges between the past and the future, the archive and his inspiration, from mother to daughter, between Italy and the Middle East, and even subliminal secret messages passed between Roberto and himself. “Dialogue will save the world,” Fausto insists. “Fashion is about desire. It’s a way to feel better. We don’t need fashion. We need more love and we need more dialogue.” GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM71 GME_011_068to071_Roberto Cavalli_13399503.indd 7101/10/2024 21:21L’Or de Vie La Crème Riche, DIOR BEAUTY 72GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM GME_011_072to077_Dior Beauty exclusive OM_13401235_NEW_13405865.indd 7201/10/2024 21:22In the region of Bordeaux, France, lies one of the most prestigious and historic vineyards, Château d’Yquem. It is here where one of the world’s most distinguished skincare lines by Dior, L’Or de Vie, was born in 2006. Now it is reinvented pushing the boundaries in skin longevity WORDS OLIVIA MORRIS PHOTOGR APH Y CAMERON BENSLEY THE GOLDEN RATIO GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM73 GME_011_072to077_Dior Beauty exclusive OM_13401235_NEW_13405865.indd 7301/10/2024 21:23“IN 2024 WITH L’OR DE VIE, WE “What if I told you that reversing biological time is no longer a dream today?” declares Associate Professor David Furman in the charming countryside of southwestern France. Not only is this a bold statement, but amid one of the most historic vineyards in France, what exactly is the connection? Situated on the outskirts of Bordeaux is the quaint vineyard of Château d’Yquem. A property with a rich history spanning over four centuries and with ties to the French monarchy, it’s perhaps unsurprising it’s known for producing some of the country’s top-rated wine. But what is surprising is it’s also the birthplace of one of the most distinguished and science-backed skincare lines in the world – Dior’s L’Or de Vie. A 400-YEAR HISTORY Known as a crown jewel of Bordeaux, Château d’Yquem’s origins date back to 1593 when the Sauvage family acquired the property from the French monarchy. Th roughout the centuries Château d’Yquem has established itself as an estate, renowned for its winemaking, utilising the conditions of the Sauternes region to create a signature sweet white wine, made from its ‘botrytised’ grapes. Known as noble rot, the Botrytis cinerea fungus infecting the grapes is partly responsible for the character of this acclaimed wine. Achieving noble rot is a very delicate process, however, and only occurs in select places. Château d’Yquem, with its ideal climatic conditions, is one of them. Misty mornings with sunny and dry afternoons allow the grapes – of which they grow two varieties, the sauvignon and sémillon – to dry in order to create the ideal Botrytis cinerea host. Dior’s very own Virginie Couturaud, Scientifi c Communication Director at Parfums Christian Dior, describes the process as a “miracle on the lands of d’Yquem, glazed by the wonders of nature”. It’s a statement that stands as a testament to the centuries-old procedures Château d’Yquem still upholds. Th e formula to achieve noble rot is a meticulously managed natural process, and every grape is handpicked to ensure only the ripest are used. L’OR DE VIE IS BORN But where exactly in this delicate process does Dior’s most eff ective skincare line enter into the mix? L’Or de Vie was fi rst added to Dior’s already impressive skincare lineup back in 2006. However, behind the scenes was more than 30 years of research by Dior Science, utilising the power of d’Yquem, termed the ‘Golden Grape’, into an elixir capable of defying time. TOP, BY INCREASING ALL SKIN 74GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM GME_011_072to077_Dior Beauty exclusive OM_13401235_NEW_13405865.indd 7401/10/2024 21:23Fast-forward nearly two decades after the groundbreaking launch of L’Or de Vie, and a new chapter is unveiled for the unmatched skincare line. “In 2024, [Château d’Yquem] revealed the longevity secret of its rarest and most precious grape,” affi rms Virginie. So, what exactly is the secret? Well, it’s the exact declaration Associate Professor Furman made. Having studied the immune system’s ageing in humans for the last three decades, Associate Professor Furman – the current Director of the Stanford 1000 Immunomes Project and Head of the Center for AI and Data Science of Aging at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging – is at the forefront of research when it comes to longevity. “In recent years, major [advances] in the ageing fi eld have identifi ed 12 hallmarks that are targeting biological age reversal,” he tells GRAZIA. “To achieve long-lasting youthful skin, it is essential to reverse as many hallmarks as possible. And with L’Or de Vie, the Dior science team have achieved a remarkable leap at addressing seven of these hallmarks.” SCIENCE-BACKED SKINCARE Enter the Golden Grape of Château d’Yquem, which Dior Science has discovered and subsequently utilised as one of the most powerful activators of skin longevity. At its core, the skin has an eff ective system that protects our DNA from damage. “We call that system the longevity system and this is composed of three essential molecules: NAD+, sirtuins and SOD, or superoxide dismutase, also known as ‘the protein of life,’” Associate Professor Furman explains. It’s through 30 years of research by Dior Science and a groundbreaking in vitro genomic study carried out on the skin where a “major discovery” was made, as outlined by Bruno Bavouzet, the Executive Vice President of Research & Development at LVMH. In this study, Dior Science sequenced a study which compared the genetic structure of young cells to old cells. Th e discovery? As we age, the protein of life (SOD) decreases by 40 per cent, as well as NAD+ and sirtuins, all of which regulate the entire longevity system. Bringing us back to Château d’Yquem, is the longevity powers of the golden grape, with which Dior has created “a made-to-measure compass” to combat the signs of ageing: the Golden Drop Life Technology, a concentrate from the quintessence of Gold Sap and Gold Ferment, d’Yquem’s active ingredients. HAVE FINALLY REACHED THE LONGEVITY IN ONE DROP” GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM75 GME_011_072to077_Dior Beauty exclusive OM_13401235_NEW_13405865.indd 7501/10/2024 21:23L’Or de Vie Le Sérum, L’Or de Vie La Lotion, L’Or de Vie La Crème Contour Yeux et Lèvres, DIOR BEAUTY 76GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM GME_011_072to077_Dior Beauty exclusive OM_13401235_NEW_13405865.indd 7601/10/2024 21:23Th e result? From studies conducted by the Dior Science team, the three essential factors at the source of the skin’s longevity system, as outlined by Associate Professor Furman, are reactivated with the Golden Grape: 30 per cent more NAD+, 20 per cent more sirtuins and a 150 per cent increase in the Protein of Life. Th e longevity approach under the skincare umbrella has been a project for the Dior Science team for over 50 years, Bavouzet notes. “You don’t declare all of a sudden, ‘Let’s take the latest trend in longevity’. It doesn’t work like that,” he asserts. “You can do it from the marketing point of view, probably. But from the scientifi c point of view, it doesn’t work. We were working on this topic before we were calling it anti-ageing – we started 50 years ago.” And what’s been achieved, in the words of Bavouzet, is “the creation of one of the best ingredients in the world”. “It’s easy to say, ‘Th is ingredient is doing that’ or ‘We have the best thing’, etcetera, but [Dior Science] has actually proven that,” Bavouzet adds, referencing its genetic study. Culminating in decades of research and a skincare legacy spanning nearly two decades, L’Or de Vie enters a new chapter, one that is paving the way in the industry, according to Associate Professor Furman. “With the ingredients we have, L’Or de Vie is a master regulator of the longevity system in the skin,” he says. It’s a sentiment which is echoed by Virginie. “In 2024 with L’Or de Vie, we have fi nally reached the top, by increasing all skin longevity in one drop.” Culminating in what is called “fi ve exceptional acts” the new iteration of Dior’s L’Or de Vie consists of: La Crème, La Crème Riche, Le Sérum, Le Lotion and La Crème Contour Yeux et Lèvres. So, can the dream of reversing biological time really be a reality as Associate Professor Furman declared? Only time will tell, but if Dior has anything to say about it, the answer is most certainly: yes. Dior’s L’Or de Vie Line is available now. “A MIRACLE ON THE LANDS OF D’YQUEM, GLAZED BY NATURE ” GRAZIAMA GAZINE. COM7 7 GME_011_072to077_Dior Beauty exclusive OM_13401235_NEW_13405865.indd 7701/10/2024 21:23Next >