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POWER STRIP Limited-edition CityCenter book continued from page 57 Beaming, he tosses out numbers as a way to explain how Crystals has man- aged to prosper in the face of the worst economic slump the city has ever seen. Crystals opened with 29 stores in December 2009, and has blossomed from the very beginning. "The tenants we have are not in survivor mode," he says. "The leases we have are for 10 years, 15 years." International visitors make up 40 percent of Crystals' customer demographic, and US visitors from outside of Las Vegas make up 50 percent. "If the economy is bad in a certain part of the it world, is good in another part," Matraki says. "Th e tenants we have are not in survivor mode." China is booming, which is fortuitous, as the Asian customer is very luxury-minded and makes up a huge percentage of Crystals' business. Matraki recently printed a Crystals bro- chure in Mandarin and is constantly working with Chinese tour guides to appeal to this crucial customer base. The retail center also draws a high volume of affluent Middle Eastern travelers—high oil prices actually help to increase business from that particular demographic, Matraki says. Crystals has been honored by the International Council of Shopping Centers for its commitment to sustainability. To those who walk into Crystals, with its lavish layout and 121-foot-high ceiling, and are struck by a seeming lack of customers, don't be fooled. "You can have 100 people in Louis Vuitton, which is nearly 30,000 square feet, and not even know they are there," he says. "You can have 30 people in Roberto Cavalli, almost 10,000 square feet, and not know they are there either." The space can devour the shopping masses, as 200,000 to 250,000 visitors whisk through Crystals each week. "I've had potential tenants tell me, 'I don't see a lot of people walking around,'" Matraki says. "Well, a lot of my customers are so-called 'hit-and-run' customers. These are hotel presidents and hotel owners who don't walk for three hours in malls. They come here, go into a store, spend $50,000, buy six suits, and they are gone. And I want the customer who buys a $250,000 necklace." Certainly, comes transaction—is a work of art Matraki can be proud of. V for the wall of a man who thinks big A Rodney Lough Jr. landscape, perfect in and that piece—and the Crystals VIEW FROM THE TOP Farid Matraki's inspirations and inclinations. international appeal I speak Arabic and Persian and understand French. Paris is my favorite city in the world! . Although I can never wait to come back to Vegas—after 16 years it is home. There's a comfort level here that you sometimes don't realize until you start traveling. favorite books I read a lot of Assouline books, and a lot of designers, when traveling, write about their experiences. I just finished The Impossible Collection of Cars. I studied engineering, and I love reading about mechanical things. dream hobby I'd like to be a car collector, but I can't afford it. One of our biggest tenants is Mr. Bulgari, of the Bulgari jewelry family. He is a huge, huge collector of cars and has an unbelievable collection. sense of humor I like to watch the Travel Channel. It's funny when they show the Caption will go here tk. eye-in-the-sky shot of all the casinos, and people think that's the only thing in Las Vegas. 58 VEGASMAGAZINE.COM PHOTOGRAPHY BY GEORGE ROSE/GETTY IMAGES (CRYSTALS)