Cavalli faces jail on £1.5m 'fraud'

He is a stylist to some of the world's biggest stars, including Kate Moss and Victoria Beckham.

But Roberto Cavalli could soon be re-styling his own jail cell.

The 65-year-old is facing two years in prison after being charged over an alleged £1.5million expenses fraud.

The Italian designer, who counts Mrs Beckham, Madonna and Jennifer Lopez among his closest friends, ran up the bill with renovations to his £10million Tuscan villa and then tried to claim it as a business expense.

He insisted the improvements - which included a helicopter hangar, landing pad and indoor and outdoor pools - were tax deductible as he uses his home for fashion photoshoots.

But officers from Italy's customs and excise told a Florence court the work could not possibly represent a legitimate business expense.

The flamboyant designer told the judge: 'My house is not my home - it's my workplace, it's my office, it's my imagination and where I have fashion shoots. It's the place Madonna, Sting, Cindy Crawford and Jennifer Lopez try the clothes I create.'

He added: 'I have to have luxury, my work requires it and my house is used for VIP parties. That's why I claimed the cost against my firm's tax liability.'

Cavalli called several of his highprofile clients, including Crawford, Madonna and Lopez, as witnesses. But, due to their busy international schedules, none was able to attend.

Cavalli, regarded as Italy's No.1 designer, helped relaunch Moss's career after last year's cocaine scandal.

His villa, near Florence, is said to be one of the finest in Italy. He lives with his wife Eva Duringer, a former Miss Universe, and their three children.

Judge Linda Vannucci is considering both a verdict and sentence.