NEW YORK, Aug 9, 2002/ --- The Lagerfeld Gallery by Diesel collection is flying out the door at Soho's Diesel Denim Gallery faster than Karl sheds pounds.

The pieces just arrived in the store last week, and already 90 percent of the long jeans -- in blue and light gray (the wash the now-svelte couturier prefers to sport himself) -- have been snatched up, as have a sizeable chunk of the jackets and denim capris.

With prices starting at $245, that's quite a testament to Lagerfeld's first venture into the blues business.

The designer debuted the denim pieces at his Lagerfeld Gallery show in Paris in March.

Of course, Lagerfeld did have help from the pros: the denim masters at Diesel, who are now launching yet another line at their innovative Soho outpost.

"Experimental," which includes both one-off tops (retailing at $240) and bottoms ($380), debuts at the Diesel Denim Gallery on Greene Street today.

Experimental product is already available at the brand's recently opened Milan store in Ticinese.

About 50 Experimental pieces will be in the Soho store at any given time, mostly in the sample-size range.

Diesel considers the looks unisex.

Currently on shelves you'll find treated sweatshirts, as well as denims baked with red paint, printed with argyle and torn inside out.

The Diesel Denim Gallery in Soho, the brand's third outlet in New York, opened in October, and presents jeans as a mixture of art and product.

Diesel uses it as a forum for its limited edition offerings, and has created washes that are exclusive to the store.

Torn Inside Out(left) and Tattered Bottom - dark denim (right)

In May, 777, which uses a sulphur black yarn dye, made its debut, and there are now only a few of the original 100 pairs, numbered with a special Diesel Denim Gallery stamp, left.

There's always something new on the horizon with this dare-to-dress denim label though, and in two weeks, 661 -- a lightweight Japanese denim that will be whitened with chlorine sponging - will arrive on Greene Street.

There are two other Diesel Denim Galleries, in Osaka and Tokyo.

Lagerfeld Gallery by Diesel, which will produce its next collection for spring/summer 2003, is sold only at the Soho and Osaka stores, as well as at select Lagerfeld Gallery retailers, like Jeffrey.

Experimental is carried at the Soho outlet, as well as at Diesel's new Milan store.