For the Fashionistas in the Back

If you crave the suction of an Herve Leger bandage dress or the bleeding sole of a Christian Louboutin platform sandal, then the two hallmark stores of the Esplanade at Encore are not the place for you.

Ensemble and In Step, the complements to Wynn Las Vegas' Outfit and Shoe In, boast anything but predictability. In fact, buyers searched high and low to fill the boutiques with labels that haven't completely saturated the pages of Us Weekly.

"We really want to support up-and-coming designers," says Sally Docherty, Wynn director of retail merchandising. "Encore is Wynn's hipper, sexier younger sister and the merchandise reflects that."

She and her team have a specific goal: To find the best kept secrets in designer fashion and whisper them into shoppers' ears. Names such as Philipp Plein and Thomas Wylde, who felt the warmth of the global spotlight when Angelina Jolie donned his dress after confirming her twin pregnancy, will appeal to the consumer looking for the next big thing.

Others, such as Vivienne Westwood and men's designer John Varvatos already have earned a dog ear in the fashion lexicon, but their Vegas presence marks something fresh and new. Both are sold here already -- Westwood in Lavand boutique in Summerlin and Varvatos at his stand-alone store in the Forum Shops at Caesars -- however, each throw Ensemble a meaty bone with merchandise no one else has. Great China Wall and King Baby extend the same special treatment.

In some cases, Ensemble will enjoy worldwide exclusivity and the store wastes little time illustrating so to shoppers. A Paco Rabanne '66 dress that exemplifies the French designer's nod toward the jewelry industry flanks a mannequin in the store window. "Ensemble's little vintage collection has real historical pieces worthy of being in museums -- and our store," says Todd Hanshaw, Wynn divisional merchandise manager.

Across the way at In Step, style connoisseurs will relish the innovative designers on display (Nicholas Kirkwood, Claudio Merazzi, Jerome Rousseau, Behnaz Kanani), but they will be just as impressed by those who didn't get an invitation. Christian Louboutin, Manolo Blahnik and Giuseppe Zanotti are all too high-profile for this party. But there isn't a price tag too high; shoes range from $450 to $7,500.

As Terri Monsour, senior vice president of retail for Wynn explains, "You can't go anywhere else in the world and find the stuff you'll find here."