It’s official. Roberto Cavalli has signed a licensing agreement for its Just Cavalli line with Staff International, the manufacturing subsidiary company of Only The Brave Group. The 10-year agreement, effective from 2012 and renewable for 5 years, will begin with the Spring/Summer 2012 collection.

Just Cavalli; A/W 2010/11 collection

The global license covers the design, development, manufacturing and distribution of all Just Cavalli collections. Although Roberto Cavalli will still be behind the creative work, the 70-year old designer seems ready to step down. From now on, it will be the task of Diesel’s owner to get the brand back on its feet after recently going through a difficult patch. Sold since 1998 under a license with Ittierre as another version of Roberto Cavalli that focused on denim, t-shirts and other streetwear pieces, Just Cavalli appeals to a younger audience by its mixture of animal prints, eccentricity and “all the bling” of Roberto Cavalli. Today, the brand offers a wide range of ready-to-wear for women and men, accessories, watches, glasses, perfumes, underwear and swimwear; all under licensing agreement. Staff International will be taking the license for clothes, shoes, bags and other leather accessories, for both men and women.

The group, which already holds licenses for Maison Martin Margiela, Dsquared², Viktor&Rolf, Vivienne Westwood and Marc Jacobs, is going to create “a division solely dedicate to Just Cavalli”, announced Only The Brave’s owner Renzo Rosso. The goal: to reach 250 million euros in wholesale turnover in the next five years. During this period, Staff International also plans to renovate Just Cavalli’s 38 existing boutiques, as well as get the number of stores up to 80, with new flagship openings expected in Milan, Rome, Paris, London, New York, Moscow, Hong Kong and Tokyo. Corners and shops-in-shop inside department stores are also in the pipeline.