When Massimo Giorgetti presented his debut collection for Emiio Pucci on Thursday he was criticised for its lack of original ideas.
In something of a tail spin following the departure of former creative director Peter Dundas, the house - an altar of turbo charged Italian glamour - was without its mojo. Today then, when the time came for Dundas to present his inaugural offering for Roberto Cavalli, the pressure was on.
With a host Cavalli's loyal fans - clad in plunging evening gowns -watching closely from the front row, Dundas set out to do what Giorgetti had failed to do for Pucci with a collection that delivered fresh ideas.
Setting out to define a new Cavalli woman, Dundas drew on tried and tested Cavalli codes - think leopard print, chainmail and billowing gowns - and fused them with the most youthful hallmarks of his Pucci heyday. The result was an offering heavy pvc trousers and retro shapes which came interspersed among candy coloured ruffle evening skirts.
Roberto Cavalli SS16 at Milan Fashion Week
The Eighties, an era to which the Roberto Cavalli woman is perfectly suited, were a source of inspiration for Dundas.
Oversized leather bows featured on tops and netted skirts which were reminiscent of Madaonna's Material Girl period while prom dresses also stood out.
The look, somewhere between rebellious prom girl and sexually charged glamazonian, echoed the vision of Saint Laurent's Hedi Slimane who has made sport of presenting women as wayward party girls in recent years.
Dundas also sought to modernise Cavalli's long running affair with animal print today - most notably by calling on images cats instead of the familiar leopard spots.
The result was an offering which brought little to thrill the fashion purist seeking clever design but plentiful options for Cavalli fans.
Of course, for Norwegian Dundas this was precisely the intention. Having already worked at the brand during his early days as a designer - Dundas cut his teeth at Cavalli following stints at Jean Paul Gaultier and Christian Lacrox - he is already on first name terms with his customer base. Of course, only time will tell if they consider Cavalli's pretender to be a fitting substitute for the man himself.
