That the Cavalli woman aims to stand out rather than blend in is a given. Yet the collection Fausto Puglisi created for resort 2026 still surprised and felt fresh with all its punchy colors, prints galore and sprinkle of golden sequins here and there, which offered a jolt of much-needed optimism and boldness in dark times. 

As it often does, the Sicilian designer’s globe-trotting lifestyle informed his work. A few months ago he traveled from Miami to Mexico City and, between the multicolored Art Deco scene of the former and exploring the latter’s lively La Condesa district, he found plenty of inspiration.

“I felt good there, and [it happened] in a historic moment when probably being optimistic is the only thing we should do,” he said, Zoom-ing from his sunny hometown, Messina. “Those working in this industry should make fashion comprehensible in a world that is more and more difficult to understand and getting darker and darker. So I liked the idea of delivering something that felt authentically mine but also a kind of evasion, also because this brand has always been about escapism.”

Cue the vibrant colorblocking of the first part of the lineup, which recalled both Puglisi’s former designs for his namesake label and Cavalli’s early 2000s ones and was in full display in flouncy slipdresses in different lengths and pairing bright yellow or pistachio hues with laced inserts in popping fuchsia and red. 

Ditto for jersey mini options stretching over the body worn with matching leggings, as well as sleek jacquard suiting and a daily look juxtaposing a relaxed double-faced caban jacket with a hot pink textured shirt and canary yellow pants.

Graphic silk shirts doubling as minidresses introduced the brand’s signature animal patterns, which also stood out on poplin frocks with ruffled hems, sequined slipdresses and on a pair of cool stone-washed denim pants with a distressed effect. The same treatment and experimental approach was applied to laminated suede pants. 

Further adding to the visual flamboyance, a floral print bloomed on see-through shirts, flared pants and bias-cut dresses, while a tapestry-like take on the botanical theme also came in combination with leopard spots, as seen on a trenchcoat that surely won’t go unnoticed — just like Cavalli’s unapologetic muse.