Cavalli for sale??

[Lena]

could this been actually happening in the next months?

COURTING CAVALLI: Roberto Cavalli's fashions are big business in the Middle East. But it looks like Arabs' appreciation of Cavalli extends beyond animal prints. Sources in Europe say Middle Eastern investors have expressed interest in the Cavalli business, though it's unclear how willing Cavalli is to sell control of the company he runs with his wife, Eva Cavalli. A Cavalli spokeswoman declined to comment. Perhaps coincidentally, the designer was just in the region. On Thursday, he was traveling back from Dubai for a store opening. Speculation about the future of Cavalli's business has been circulating for months.
At his fashion show in February, Cavalli admitted that he, too, has heard the rumors about a possible sale of his company, but he outright denied them. "I like making mistakes by myself," he quipped.
Roberto Cavalli SpA's 2004 balance sheet, the most recent available, shows that the company posted a net profit of 1.4 million euros, or $1.7 million at average rates for the period, on sales of 97.7 million euros, or $121.1 million. But the designer also has a host of lucrative licensing deals, including one for his diffusion brand Just Cavalli, via a separate company called Iga Finance BV, based in the Netherlands.

credited to www.wwd.com

 

[sstrang]

I find it very hard to believe that this could be true. After all, Cavalli is one of the more recent players in fashion, and he is pretty much at his peak right now; I don't see him selling it anytime soon...especially to anyone in the middle east. I think if anything, another designer would take the position of Chief designer for the House, before he ever considered selling.

 

[arlekindearrabal]

i would have thought his business to be larger...

 

[amor]

i dont mind if it is to be sold, as long as roberto remains chief designer of the house. i enjoy very much his recent designs,brilliant.

 

[Lena]

I find it very hard to believe that this could be true. After all, Cavalli is one of the more recent players in fashion, and he is pretty much at his peak right now; I don't see him selling it anytime soon...especially to anyone in the middle east. I think if anything, another designer would take the position of Chief designer for the House, before he ever considered selling.

In europe Cavalli is much less the 'player' he used to be five or six seasons ago and i'm persuaded his top selling region is the Middle East, so it seems very natural to happen.
plus his recentvisit to the italian courts must have cost a lot to the company.
still like amor just said, as long as he and his wife stay in creative direction, it wont change a thing, i may actually be for the best of the label..

 

[JJohnson]

hmm i would think that his company is worth more than that, i was thinking at least $300-$400 mil

 

[Yanka]

wow... im suprised he's only worth that much... I'd imagine his biggest market is Russia though, they worship him.

 

[vanilla fairy]

won't be really suprised if this happened, Cavalli is literally woshipped in the middle east, people there just adore him, his desgins suits the arabs and their taste a lot!
as the guys said above, i dont think it would be such a prob as long as he stays "in charge"

 

[sstrang]

if it is indeed true, i'm starting to wonder if the general style of the cavalli look is one of the styles that will soon become passe. it has been said that cavalli is "the new versace", and as it is known, versace isn't the label it once was during the reign of gianni. it seems the jet-set, flashy glamour may be the main problem...