Roberto Cavalli’s super sexy designs have been a staple of the red carpet for many of Hollywood’s sultriest celebs, so when the fashion designer opened his brand-new boutique on Beverly Hills’ luxe Rodeo Drive, he was joined by sexy superstars including Carmen Electra, Salma Hayek, Mischa Barton, Christina Aguilera, Cindy Crawford and even Jack Nicholson.
Christina caused the biggest stir when she arrived in full Marilyn Monroe mode, with shirt, wavy platinum locks and a creamy Cavalli overcoat covering her cleavage baring black dress-but her most noticeable accessory was her sparkly engagement ring (designed by jeweler Stephen Webster). She happily wiggled her fingers for the paparazzi as her very thin fiancé, music exec Jordon Bratman, slipped out of the limelight to chat on cell phone while the future Mrs. did the photo op thing.
I asked Christina about how Jordan proposed, but she coyly demurred, offering only a knowing grin and the summation: “I was really amazed,” she said, breathless. “It was so amazing”
The pop diva was just about to go inside the party when Nicole Richie, herself also recently betrothed to club DJ par excellence Adam Goldstein, arrived and started shouting “Christina! Christina!” from the far end of the carpet. They hugged and squealed giddily, congratulating each other showing off their new baubles. Nicole was clad in a plumb Cavalli gown that hugged her newly svelte curves perfectly. Nicole pal and super-stylist-to the stars Rachel Zoe added that, other than her ring (a massive square pink sapphire framed by a series of tiny diamonds), her jewels were all 24 karat gold Yossi Harari and her shoes were Chloe: “Brand new, gold-plate pumps-they’re insane,” giggled Rachel Zoe.
Salma Hayek arrived (sans her gal pal and Banditas co-star Penelope Cruz, who was also expected), nicely filling out the bronze Cavalli top with wild red-beaded cuffs she matched with a pair of jeans. Salma chatted alternately in English and Spanish, and When asked how she thought this year’s crop of Oscar nominees were feeling in the rush toward the big night, she recalled her own recent experience: “I think everybody’s different,” said Salma. “I was really excited. All my family and friends flew in from Mexico, trying to get me to get them tickets for the Oscars, and it was crazy and a lot of fun. For me it was a family experience.”
The designer himself kept reappearing at the door to greet his celebrity guests, including sexpot Carmen (who, tanned and tawny, looked like a female Oscar herself in her bust-baring, skintight gold Cavalli gown), another ex-Baywatch babe Traci Bingham, R&B diva Mary J. Blige and supermodels Beverly Johnson, Daisy Fuentes and Cindy Crawford, the latter escorted by her nightclub impresario hubby Rande Gerber.
Clearly Cavalli the designer loves the ladies as much as his clothing does. When I asked what inspired him, even after having my English translated into Italian, he didn’t miss a beat: “My inspiration comes when I watch a woman see how she would like to be. It’s important to watch every woman be how she would like to be – sexy but not vulgar, special but not too much. The love of the woman inspires me.” He added that Hollywood celebrities have embraced his designs “because they are special, like them. Because it helps them to bring out the personalities that they need to have. Because every woman-not just the celebrities-loves to dream, and inside one of my dresses, they get to dream.”
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And has he ever designed anything where even Cavalli himself has thought “That’s almost TOO sexy?” “Ah, ah, often. Often!” he laughed. “Too much. I have to be careful!” Lithe Lisa Rinna (who dared to wear a clingy Chloe that constantly threatened to reveal parts of her body usually reserved for hubby Harry Hamlin) disagreed: “Everything is appropriate and you wear it to the appropriate event, but I don’t believe there’s such a thing as too sexy.”
Cavalli-clad fan Fran Drescher–her date was her teeny, tiny brown Pomeranian Hester Drescher (“She LOVES Cavalli,” honked Fran)–felt the designer always did things just right: “He has such a nice range of selection, that I always find stuff that I think is perfect for me,” said Fran. “The pendulum swings from one end to the other, and you can find something that actually leans toward the conservative or the unbelievably sexy.”
Mischa Barton was a latecomer, delayed by shooting for The O.C. but Roberto made sure she made it inside even as the red carpet was about to be rolled up. Her beau Brandon Davis, who said Roberto was like “a best friend” to him, was already waiting for her, along with his mom Nancy-who hosted the event-and his grandmother Barbara. Roberto had pledged to donate a percentage of sales to Nancy’s Race to Erase MS charity during the last week of February.
The Davis family presence ensured a proper turnout from the L.A. social elite-like Candy (Mrs. Aaron) Spelling, Denise Rich and still-bronzey-after-all-these-years George Hamilton, who arrived with his ex Alanna-to Brandon and Mischa‘s hip Young Hollywood pals, like Alanna’s daughter, party girl Kimberly Stewart, Brandon’s brother Jason and Jason’s arm candy Courtney Peldon (who swung by just long enough to give me a quick buss on the cheek, but not to update me on her reported accidental stabbing on her latest movie set).
Skipping the red carpet was Jack: he apparently slipped in the back way and was received by Cavalli so discreetly that, unlike most Laker games, many of the partiers never even knew he was there!
Inside the new brand-new boutique, the packed party was a dim, intimate, buffet-style dinner decorated by cool candelabras shaped like wintery tree branches, while images of beautiful floral arrangements were projected on the boutique walls. There was also a major leopard spot theme, with table clothes and accessories in the jungle print, which well-suited the gentlemen-including Steven Segal and Tom Arnold–who prowled predator-like after the ladies in their skin-friendly Cavalli couture.
Las Vegas‘ James Caan, however, seemed a little less than enthused as his wife Linda pulled him into the store. “I spend all my time on Rodeo Drive,” he sighed.
“And all your money?” I asked.
“Yeah!” James replied with a pained grin, pointing his thumb discreetly at his spouse and mouthing silently “SHE spends all the money.”
