Hey, tiger!
Roberto CAVALLI knows how to dress up a party. His new collection for H&M; is a lineup of pieces that make for an unapologetically sexy mix of glamorous and and well-cut designs, with an ample supply of his signature animal prints.
The women’s line evokes visions of Bianca Jagger backlighted by flickers of a spinning disco ball while partying with the guitar strumming glamazons in Robert Palmer’s “Addicted to Love” video.
This is a good start for New Year’s Eve planning. A beaded, gold minidress with fringe a la Tina Turner will move and shake, and the slinky spaghetti straps and plunging neckline are a definite attention grabber.
The $400 gilded dress is affordable compared with high-end glittered garb. And a long, gold lame gown with a halter neckline and pleated bottom is pure disco; it’s $349.
The most impressive ensemble is a clean and well-tailored women’s white tux jacket with black satin lapels, $99, and a pair of white, high-waist trousers, $59.90. The lines are modern, but the classic tux design looks best with a little girlie detail, like the black, sleeveless, ruffle-front blouse for $49.90.
His animal designs, in tiger, cheetah, zebra, snake and lizard prints, are heavily represented in the line of 25 women’s pieces and 20 men’s pieces. The collection is fit for cocktails on Cavalli’s yacht or all-night parties in Ibiza.
But replicating fur and exotic skins can be a tricky translation when going from high to low. The good news is that Cavalli sticks to animal prints on chiffon and cotton, a richer look than, say, a “python” handbag made of vinyl. Overall, the pieces are constructed well, with attention to detail and tailoring.
With the wild prints and tribal touches, the pieces could look tacky if not worn with classically sexy touches. Blood-red lips, severe hair and a serious pout are the best accessories to wear with this collection.
The tiered silk dresses in leopard and zebra prints look like Paris Hilton on a bad fashion day; at $99.90, they’re steep for H&M.;
The longer versions of the animal print silk dresses look richer, but you’ve got to be really into animal prints to wear most of the dresses in the line. A zebra-striped trench has a nice weight to it and is a classic thigh-grazing silhouette.
The men’s collection is a little more subdued, meaning fewer animal prints, but with skinny cuts on suits and jeans. It incorporates much of the clothing looks that Cavalli wears; the thin scarf with fringe tassels often seen draped around his neck is in the line, for $39.90.
A thigh-length, black trench coat, $198, could dress up jeans and a white T-shirt. The price is higher than usual, but the style is a classic and is wearable year-round in L.A.
The men’s “basics,” such as a brown, V-neck T-shirt, have a tonal wood-grain design on the inset of the shirt, as does a racing-style brown leather jacket. It gives them too much embellishment to be worn seriously.
The clean and dark smoking jacket and trousers are the steal at $299 for both pieces, as a timeless suit with detailed tailoring.
And what would a Cavalli collection be without gold accessories? There are three hefty pieces of women’s jewelry, all with a reptilian inspiration. A gold snake slithers around a large horn pendant, up an arm as a bracelet and coils tight with an amethyst-colored stone on a ring for a part goth-part Grecian set of baubles.
The gold leather ankle-strap shoes are the best buy in the women’s accessories line, at $129. The metallic leather is soft and a nice burnished gold that’s not blinding.
Cavalli doesn’t skip the snake motif in the men’s accessories line. There are gold cobra-head cuff links and a snake pendant on a black leather cord -- both a little too costumey for most men.
But the shin-high leather boots are perfect with trousers or jeans and, at $198, are an easy addition to any guy’s wardrobe.
The Roberto Cavalli collection will be available Thursday at 200 of H&M;’s stores worldwide and 10 in the United States, including the Beverly Center, West Hollywood and South Coast Plaza locations.
