Marquee Brands has acquired a majority stake in Roberto Cavalli from Dubai-based DAMAC Group, the companies announced May 20. The Roberto Cavalli Marquee Brands acquisition 2026 is expected to close in the second quarter, making the Florence-founded house the 22nd brand in Marquee’s portfolio. DAMAC Group, the Hussain Sajwani-led real estate developer that pulled Cavalli out of Italian bankruptcy in 2019, will retain a significant shareholder stake and continue developing Roberto Cavalli-branded residences and hospitality projects.
Deal Structure and Closing Timeline
The transaction is expected to close in Q2 2026, according to the official press release. Marquee Brands takes majority ownership. DAMAC keeps a minority position. RBC Capital Markets advised on financial terms. Greenberg Traurig handled legal counsel.
DAMAC’s continued involvement is unusual for a brand-management transaction. The Dubai developer keeps Roberto Cavalli licensing rights for its residential towers and hospitality projects in Dubai, Riyadh and other markets. The fashion, accessories, fragrance and home licensing operations transfer to Marquee.
Marquee Brands and The Level Group Strategy
Marquee Brands has named Milan-based The Level Group (TLG) as its principal operating partner for Roberto Cavalli. TLG will manage manufacturing, distribution, retail, e-commerce and wholesale across Europe and the United States.
Adding Cavalli brings Marquee’s combined portfolio retail sales to approximately $5 billion. The Neuberger Berman-backed firm’s existing roster includes Martha Stewart, BCBGMAXAZRIA, Laura Ashley, Ben Sherman, Bruno Magli, Stance and Sur La Table.
“Roberto Cavalli stands as one of luxury’s defining Italian houses, with a bold creative identity and enduring brand ethos.” — Heath Golden, CEO of Marquee Brands
Golden told WWD the firm has no intention of repositioning the house downward. “We’re not buying this brand to take it down market,” he said. “We’ve been very intentional about putting luxury players around it.”
Roberto Cavalli’s Road to the Deal
Roberto Cavalli founded the house in Florence in 1970, building it on animal prints and Italian craftsmanship. Roberto Cavalli’s brand history spans a five-decade run as one of Milan’s most recognizable maximalist labels. The business has changed hands multiple times since posting losses in 2013.
Clessidra Capital Partners acquired a 90% stake in 2015. The brand filed for Italian bankruptcy in March 2019, with DAMAC acquiring the house out of those proceedings. In 2024, Roberto Cavalli’s North American subsidiary filed Chapter 7 and closed its US retail stores. The CEO departed in 2025 as DAMAC began searching for a strategic operating partner.
Italian designer Fausto Puglisi serves as creative director. His Milan collections operate under Milan Fashion Week’s updated industry guidelines and lean into 1970s silhouettes, animal print codes and Art Deco references — a deliberate return to Cavalli’s heritage aesthetic.
Brand Direction Under New Ownership
Marquee Brands plans to expand Roberto Cavalli across Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, the Middle East, Asia Pacific and Latin America. New product categories, services and experiential retail touchpoints are planned globally.
“Roberto Cavalli is one of the most distinctive luxury brands in the world… we are confident Marquee Brands is the right partner to do so.” — Hussain Sajwani, Founder of DAMAC Group
Puglisi will continue as creative director. Recent runway output has emphasized bold prints, body-conscious silhouettes and animal-print signatures — a direction more aligned with fall 2026 runway trends than with the quiet minimalism dominating much of European luxury this season.
Brand Management Consolidation Reshapes Fashion Ownership
The Cavalli deal lands amid an accelerating shift in luxury ownership toward brand-management firms. Marquee Brands, Authentic Brands Group and WHP Global are acquiring intellectual property and outsourcing manufacturing, distribution and retail to specialist operating partners. The model decouples brand ownership from operations.
- WHP Global: WHP Global acquired Marc Jacobs from LVMH earlier this year.
- Authentic Brands Group: Authentic Brands Group’s pursuit of Lee Jeans continues into Q2.
- NYC Alliance: NYC Alliance’s acquisition of Derek Lam closed in the first quarter.
- Shein: Everlane’s acquisition by Shein represents consolidation in the mid-tier.
“The acquisition of Roberto Cavalli reinforces Neuberger’s confidence in the platform and its ability to continue to create value for investors,” Zachary Sigel, managing director at Neuberger Berman, said in the release.
Not every brand is moving in the same direction. Giambattista Valli regained full control of his brand earlier this year, taking the opposite trajectory.
For comparative context in Italian and European luxury, Gucci’s latest runway collection under Demna and Burberry’s return to profit under new leadership show how other heritage houses are navigating turnarounds inside traditional ownership structures. Cavalli’s path now diverges from that model. The Roberto Cavalli official site continues to operate during the transition.
