Italian fashion designer Roberto Cavalli, known for a flamboyant and glamorous style, has died at age 83. “Dear Roberto, you may not be physically here with us anymore but I know I will feel your spirit with me always,” Fausto Puglisi, creative director at Roberto Cavalli, wrote in the social media post. “Your name will continue on, a beacon of inspiration for others, and especially for me,” Puglisi added.

The fashion house, founded by Cavalli in 1975, also released a quote by the designer that paid tribute to his ultimate muse: “I copy the dress of an animal because I love to copy God. I think God is the most fantastic designer.” The Florence-born designer became renowned in the early 1970s for his animal prints and for a sexy, over-the-top style that remained his trademark throughout his long career.