Let a Woman be a Woman

Pop open the bubbly and the first few buttons of your shirt. Roberto Cavalli is in Las Vegas, both the man and the flagship boutique.

You can save the champagne for yourself, though. Contrary to popular belief, he's not the guy who falls asleep to the thump of house music. According to the Italian designer, he prefers the word "party" as a noun, not a verb.

"I used to smoke. I stopped smoking. I don't like alcohol. I love water. I love to be with friends because I love friendship. I love music. I love to laugh," he says. "That's me."

Cavalli has graced his new boutique at Crystals at CityCenter with his presence for the grand opening party on a recent Friday night. A velvet rope at the store's entrance separates the invited from the uninvited. Trays with the champagne Cavalli doesn't drink bob over the heads of guests, all of whom are sneaking to get a peek at the guest of honor. Clad in spring's must-have denim trend, Cavalli sports it on top and bottom with a black sport coat and jersey scarf thrown over. It's a relatively understated look, but the moment Cavalli speaks -- with his gruff voice and thick-as-thieves accent -- it's clear he's a seasoned designer.

So seasoned, he can tell you what's wrong with the fashion industry today without skipping a beat. Despite the fact he loves his fellow American designers, he says they're too industrial with little focus on creativity. And the industry as a whole? Cavalli thinks it's far too concerned with publicity.

"I remember a time when every woman who wanted to wear a dress, they used to take off the labels," he says. "Not for the name of boutique or the designer, but because they don't want someone to buy dress similar."

Now consumers let brands take over the wheel even if it means style takes a backseat. His opposition to that mentality is demonstrated in the fact the public doesn't associate his name with a logo, but rather a look. With his trademark animal prints and occasional cuts that should come with pixilation, the look is first and foremost confident.

When the Roberto Cavalli brand first started to pick up international steam, it came fresh on the heels of the minimalism movement. Women grew restless with clothing that put the virtual mute button on their self-expression. That's when Cavalli made his entrance, which might as well have come with a hair-blowing fan. The juxtaposition between the Cavalli look and the minimalist trends before him were much like the moment the librarian rips off her glasses and pulls out her bun.

"(Before), it was boring fashion and not sexy. For the time, (designers) tried to dress woman like a man," he says. "The most important part about a woman is the feminine. If you lose that, you lose the most important part."

Since his brand blew up in the mid-'90s, Cavalli has embraced all kinds of looks, beyond just the sexy. Silhouettes have loosened their grip and cuts have discovered modesty. He's particularly proud of his red carpet gowns, in which he'd love to someday dress Angelina Jolie. Beyond the A-list actress there are "so, so many" he hopes to work with but hasn't yet had a chance.

Customers at the new flagship boutique, the only nonfranchised store of his in Vegas, can find more than just women's ready-to-wear. Menswear, accessories, time and eyewear collections, intimates and home and pet lines all fill the 10,000-square-foot store. Mannequins pose on the catwalk that starts at the back of the store and runs down the middle. A tailoring room and three VIP areas complete the space.

So, why a flagship in Las Vegas? "Everything in Vegas is to the maximum," says Cavalli. "And I like to give the maximum to my fans."

Roberto Cavalli's flagship store is located at Crystals at CityCenter, 736-7300.