SKIMS x Roberto Cavalli
The recent launch of the SKIMS x Roberto Cavalli swimwear collection supplied pop culture and luxury fashion aficionados with the ultimate poolside wardrobe, while also pointing to a growing industry trend: luxury fashion houses increasingly collaborating with mass-market brands to expand their accessibility and relevance.
Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner sporting the SKIMS tie waist one piece, long kaftan, and head scarf in zebra print for the vintage-inspired SKIMS x Roberto Cavalli campaign shoot. Photographed by Nadia Lee Cohen for SKIMS x Roberto Cavalli, June 2025. Available via IG @skims. © All rights belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.
SKIMS pulled from the Roberto Cavalli archive by featuring three of the brand’s iconic prints on the pieces in their collaboration line: Fagianella, Light Zebra, and Tiger Face. Bringing these prints to a larger consumer base, heavily driven by SKIMS Co-Founder and Chief Creative Officer Kim Kardashian’s celebrity status, makes for an exciting expansion of Cavalli’s glamorous Italian aesthetic. SKIMS prioritizes creating pieces that make the wearer feel sexy in their own skin, so the swimwear, cover-ups, and accessories featured in this collection are exactly what archival fashion lovers of any shape, size or color need for a vacation to a tropical island or a or relaxing day by the pool.
The campaign shoot for this collaboration incorporates Cavalli’s signature prints into a glamorously decorated house inspired by the retro aesthetic of the 70’s and 80’s. Featuring Kim Kardashian herself and her mother, Kris Jenner, the shoot provides the ideal setting for the floral and animal prints featured in the collection as they were a staple during the referenced time period.
Reminiscent of collaborative collections like the H&M x Mugler release in 2023, SKIMS x Roberto Cavalli allows consumers to have pieces in their wardrobe that reference luxury, archival fashion without breaking the bank. A lot of the time, the world of luxury fashion seems completely out of reach, especially for Gen Z consumers, but through its collaboration with SKIMS, Cavalli has made it possible for younger, cost-conscious consumers to take interest in what they’re doing in the industry.
The luxury fashion industry operates on exclusivity, whether through lack of affordability or limited invites to high profile fashion events, because the excitement of a one of a kind collection dwindles when everyone can get it. However, as fashion executives begin to witness how lucrative collaborations like SKIMS x Roberto Cavalli can be for both parties, there may be hope for consumers to get their hands on pieces inspired by and pulled from the archive of couture fashion houses. It’s exciting to see the fashion industry change in real time, and there is only more room to break the barriers built by the industry to make high-end fashion more accessible to everyone.
