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Peter Dundas on Why Kim Kardashian West Is His New Roberto Cavalli Muse

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Photo: Kevin Tachman

The relationship between designer and muse is as old as fashion itself. Paul Poiret had his wife, Denise; Yves Saint Laurent looked to Loulou de la Falaise; and Marc Jacobs continues to find inspiration in Sofia Coppola. So it wasn’t long after Peter Dundas took the reins as creative director at Roberto Cavalli this past March that he began to look for a woman on which to debut his new vision for the Italian house.

And not just any woman: Enter Kim Kardashian West. The social media phenomenon and entrepreneur, who had previously worn Dundas’s creations for Emilio Pucci, quickly became the first person to wear a Roberto Cavalli piece created by Dundas at this year’s Met Gala. Needless to say, the barely there crystal-and-feather confection garnered plenty of press for both the woman wearing it and the man who made it. “Dressing Kim was a great way to start a new chapter for Cavalli,” Dundas tells Vogue.com. “I think Kim represents a certain aspect of the Cavalli woman in her sensuality and also the unapologetic celebration of her body. Femininity is such a strong means of expression. I wish fashion embraced it more. I love the idea of desire.”

Desire isn’t the only keyword Dundas will be looking to come his Spring 2016 runway show for the house. “Cavalli is synonymous with freedom for me. I want the brand to have an independence in fashion, both in what it is and who represents it,” he offers. “I don’t want the Cavalli girl to be just one kind of woman.”

And while Dundas won’t say Kardashian West is his only muse, she is one of his favorite sources of inspiration. “I always enjoy meeting up with Kim. She is a funny, easygoing chick who likes to have a laugh and doesn’t take things too seriously. Her life is often like a story you couldn’t write, but she manages to handle it with ease and with a wink.” The wink Dundas is willing to give? Whether he’ll be dressing the mother-to-be during her pregnancy. “I cannot comment on this presently, but you will see,” he demurs. Keep your eyes peeled.

—Steff Yotka, Style.com

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