The Eras Tour | Fearless | v5
Fearless Section, version 5
Worn On: 7/13/24 // Milan, Italy
the commentary
My very first thought upon seeing this dress was, “Oh that’s very Roberto Cavalli.” Which makes all the sense in the world why Taylor would want to time a new Cavalli creation (by Creative Director Fausto Puglisi) in Milan - one of the fashion capitals of the world and home country to both Cavalli and Puglisi.
Roberto Cavalli is known for many of its signature house code prints, like those of big cats. We see that reference in other Fausto-created pieces for Taylor on the Eras Tour such as the cat head emblem on the tops of the 1989 2.0 sets.
On this new Fearless dress, we see another classic print come to life: Roberto Cavalli’s iconic ‘Ray of Gold’ print. ‘Ray Of Gold’ was first introduced by the designer in 2007 and revived and recreated by Puglisi for a limited capsule collection in 2024. The original inspiration source for Cavalli was the beautiful refraction of a sunbeam on the golden facade of an art deco lighter. To me, the fan-like visual calls to mind the windblown hair toss of the Fearless cover albums.
After recreating the 'Ray of Gold’ print, Roberto Cavalli CEO Sergio Azzolari told WWD that Fausto is “very respectful of Roberto, yet at the same time he succeeds in reinterpreting his style in a more contemporary way, without distorting the brand.”
There’s something refracting light meets lionfish meets Flintstones meets sand through an hourglass meets animal print about this look. Which is to say I think it looks fantastic and eye-catching. However, I personally find Versions 1 and 4 come closest to honouring the original aesthetic of the Fearless era. Your thoughts?
the clothes
* Not available for purchaseFeature Photo by VittorGareth Cattermole/TAS24 via Getty Images