Excess is his success

Italian designer known for his flamboyant style visits China, where his brand is becoming increasingly popular. Mark Graham reports.

It is hard not to be captivated by the sheer exuberance of Roberto Cavalli, a designer who has been living the champagne life for the past four decades and-at the age of 74-showing no signs of cutting back on partying his way around the globe, traveling by private jet or personal yacht.

The Italian designer, who came to Beijing to launch the second of his stores in the country, is the king of bling, an individual who makes flamboyant, even outrageous, clothes, and believes in setting an extravagant example. Cavalli, as his Instagram followers will know, seems to be permanently in some kind of exotic location-posing at a Hollywood party with A-listers, on a scuba driving trip, or with one of his collection of super-fast Ferrari sports cars.