Well-cut, cool clothes were always Calvin's forte. And he has another - Gabriella

When Gabriella Forte left Armani to become Calvin Klein's president, the all-American designer gained a valuable asset from his rival.

Workaholic is not the word. Gabriella Forte, president and chief operating officer for Calvin Klein Inc, spends the equivalent of one week in every month on a plane between Europe, America and Asia, does not believe in stopping for lunch as it disrupts the day's work flow, and spends just three hours in every 24 asleep.

For the opening of the first cK shop in the UK, the diminutive Italian business woman stopped off between the week's destinations of Italy, New York, Korea and Japan for 24 hours in London to inspect the latest Calvin Klein flagship. Her long, sleek black hair falls down her back to precision- cut blunt ends, heavy gold ethnic earrings dangle from her ears - her one concession to the minimal fashion philosophy of Calvin Klein - and her black trouser suit is pristine. "Welcome to cK, 55 New Bond Street," flashes the cash tills, already ringing just an hour after the three-floor store has opened to the public.

"She makes grown men quake in their shoes," I had been warned. "She's utterly ruthless," came another whisper. As the dark limo swept to a halt on busy Bond Street, a frisson went through the newly appointed staff inside the shop. Gabriella Forte, mobile phone on one ear and impervious black Calvin Klein sunglasses shutting out the bright sunshine, stepped out into the stark interior, the cool grey floors and white walls that are the Calvin Klein hallmark whether you are in Moscow, Barcelona, London or Tokyo. For her it is another home from home.

"We should have opened in London a year ago," says Forte in her quick- fire Italian accent. To mark the opening of the new store, Calvin Klein did not throw a party with local celebrities like they did in Barcelona, and they did not attempt to outdo the party to end all parties that Donna Karan threw for her shop opening in London a year ago. Sensibly, the company chose to slip into Bond Street quietly, rather than burst in amid a flurry of stars and stripes. Word will spread among shoppers who have already been wearing Calvin Klein underwear, perfume and aftershave for the past few years. Now they will connect the smell to the tailoring, coats, T-shirts and jeans that bear the all-American icon's name. And with Bond Street and the high street in general booming, business promises to please even the exacting standards of Ms Forte.

The timing is right, she feels. "England has evolved. Now the sun shines like the Mediterranean." Not that she will have a single moment to enjoy the warmth of the Indian summer that burst on London as the shop opened its doors. "My life is one long meeting," she laughs. Gabriella Forte may be a stickler, and an obsessive perfectionist, but she has a sense of humour and Italian warmth that are unexpected. Her relationship with Calvin Klein, who exudes a laid-back accessibility, suddenly makes sense.

She joined the Calvin corporation in 1994 after 15 years at Giorgio Armani, causing a sensation in the fashion world. Armani relied heavily on her opinions and his loss was his rival Calvin Klein's gain. She was to be instrumental in expanding Calvin Klein as a global brand. Over the past 12 months, 22 new Calvin Klein shops have opened around the world. And that is the tip of the iceberg.

The president and the designer-in-chief meet once a week to discuss strategies and global movement. Forte "processes Mr Klein's vision". She may have solidified the company but, I wonder, has she changed the man? "There is nothing to change," she replies with absolute conviction. "We all like him just the way he is."

With Gabriella Forte, what you see is what you get. She is perfectly frank about the fact that she is more focused and steely than Margaret Thatcher in her Iron Lady years. She gets up at 5am every morning, has coffee, talks to her husband of 23 years, and arranges her flowers. She goes to the gym or runs in the park before arriving at the Seventh Avenue headquarters to sort through her mail at 7.30am. She is totally focused in everything she does to the point that she knows immediately if somebody has moved a vase of flowers half a millimetre from where she left it. But she believes passionately in what she is doing, and she makes you believe it too. "Everybody needs a pair of boxers and a T-shirt," she instils in me, her eyes piercing mine. "Everybody wants a slip dress; Calvin Klein put slip dresses on the map."

We could all learn a thing or two from this woman who says life is all about exchanges - between people, places, designers and cultures - not least how to pack an overnight bag. "I'm not a big packer," she says. All she needs wherever she is going in the world - and she's usually off somewhere - is toiletries, two pairs of shoes, a "stretch suit", a pair of classic pants, a blazer and something special in case she has to go out to a posh do.

"When in doubt," she advises, "wear a T-shirt." How focused is that?