An owner of Standardbred racehorses, the bold and unapolegetic Italian fashion designer and entrepreneur Roberto Cavalli passed away at the age of 83, according to a statement from his company.
Roberto Cavalli's namesake company, which he founded in the 1970s and retired from active duty in 2015, announced the fashion icon's passing on April 12, 2024 in a social media post: "A life lived with love. It is with great sadness that today we say our final goodbyes to our founder Roberto Cavalli. From humble beginnings in Florence, Roberto succeeded in becoming a globally recognized name loved and respected by all. Naturally talented and creative, Roberto believed that everyone can discover and nurture the artist within themselves. Roberto Cavalli's legacy will live on via this creativity, his love of nature and via his family who he cherished."
Cavalli and his ex-wife Eva Düringer, an Austrian beauty queen and a former creative director for his brands, owned numerous Standardbreds that raced in North America in the 1970s and 1980s, most notably, 1987 Breeders Crown two-year-old colt trot champion Defiant One, pictured below in the Mohawk Raceway winner's circle.
Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Roberto Cavalli.