Cavalli fashion house may hit stock market

Florence, Italy -- Italian designer Roberto Cavalli, whose fashion house is known for glitz, is talking to potential investors about putting the company on the stock market.

"There are negotiations under way with various fashion groups and certain investment funds. We looking at the possibilities," Eva Cavalli, wife of the house's 62-year-old founder and chief designer, told Italian news agency ANSA.

Cavalli said she and her husband were still deciding whether to offer a majority stake in the label, which now has four lines.

Cavalli, known for incorporating wild animal prints and sexy cuts in his designs, is popular with celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Kate Moss and Paris Hilton.

The entry of a new partner into the Florence fashion house would "support our growth on new markets like Japan and China," Eva Cavalli said, cautioning that any action would be "taken very carefully."

Copyright 2007 by United Press International.