Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli has died at the age of 83, ANSA reported.
His penchant for vivid animal motifs and his artful creations have made him a darling of international social life for decades.
The designer died in his home, where he was born, in Florence after a long illness.
Cavalli first rose to prominence in the 1970s working with stars such as Sophia Loren and Brigitte Bardot, and his nude and eye-catching designs are still favored years later by the next generation of celebrities, from Kim Kardashian to Jennifer Lopez.
Cavalli had a taste for Ferraris, thick cigars and unbuttoned shirts that exposed his chest. He married a Miss Universe runner-up, owned a purple helicopter and a vineyard in Tuscany and was intimate with Hollywood stars.
Born on November 15, 1940 in Florence, Italy's main leather processing center, Cavalli is known for his use of embossed leather and stretchy, sandblasted jeans.
In 2005, the designer was tasked with revamping the skimpy uniform of the Playboy bunnies - true to his style, he introduced a leopard print version. /BGNES