One thing is for sure: Just Cavalli is not for the faint of heart. For spring 2026 even more so, as creative director Daniele Lombardo looked to upend postcard-like clichés of La Dolce Vita lifestyle to bring the eccentric Just Cavalli characters and a sprinkle of Los Angeles vibes to Lake Como.
Lombardo is well aware his tribe doesn’t belong to the splendor of places like the luxury Villa D’Este hotel — where, for one, Chanel recently staged its cruise 2026 runway show — and that’s precisely why he wanted to set his latest effort there.
The invasion of the brand’s bold codes into the storied location was intended to further amplify the irreverent nature of Just Cavalli and the provocative spirit the designer is imbuing in it. He magnified the collision of aesthetics in the collection too, clashing the glam with the sporty, animalier patterns with pastel colors, and not holding back when it came to prints, embroideries and glitzy embellishments.
Eye-catching motifs encompassed the scarf-like Persian Tarot print splashed on fluid silk shirts and pants; the Tropical Garden pattern on tracksuits, and a Gold Palm graphic on cutout dresses. Gowns and separates in pastel-hued solid colors attempted to offer a much-needed break from such a visual overload, but they fueled it instead, with their transparencies, ruched effects and feathery details.
Ditto for the profusion of sportswear references, ranging from shiny Lycra cycling shorts and ‘80s-nodding color-block tracksuits to tennis-inspired sets and soccer jerseys splashed with animalier prints.
The chaotic suitcase the Just Cavalli woman packed for her weekend getaway also comprised a final, red carpet-worthy number: a see-through black gown reprising the Gold Palm theme as sequined embroidery in strategic placement. Clearly for Lombardo, one can never be too overdressed.
