On the heels of last season’s ox-drawn cart parade down posh via Montenapoleone, the Italian company delivered last Sunday, once again, a memorable and inventive means to communicate its recipe for men’s clothing: the Etro Tour.

300 editors and buyers boarded a vintage 1937 train, together with a hoard of Etro-decked models, leaving from Milan’s Stazione Porta Genova.

As charcoal smoke pumped out of the train’s spouts and uniformed guards blew whistles, guests boarded the cozy bunkers where they found Etro blankets lining the seats and paisley luggage stacked in rows above their heads.

A traveler’s goodie bag of Italian-style eats, which included fresh prosciutto panino and a mini dose of grappa, got guests warmed up for the refreshing fashion presentation.

Kean Etro is sick of the distant stuffiness that has plagued fashion’s big ticket shows.

Explaining the choice of format the creative director says he wants to “bring fashion face to face with its final user.”

Furthermore, “after so much television make-believe, the time has come to revive the physical dimension of live theater.”

And a performance it was.

Rummaging through the aisles, models decked out in the latest Etro designs strummed violins, puffed on cigars, showcased a Harris hawk, carried pillows, and dallied with canes, all in the name of good old fashion fun.

The fashion gang on board was captivated, enthusiastically shouting out directives to models to “slow down!” or “give us more guitar!”

Just like the ride, the clothes -- full of twists on the house’s command of rich, high quality fabrics -- were good fun.

Rich velvets in the brightest of jeweled colors covered pants and suits, sometimes with a smattering of polka dots or four leaf clovers, a season favorite.

Three piece and two piece suits done in bold stripes managed to stay in chic territory, rather than falling victim to the dangerously obnoxious.

Mixing plaids with paisleys, cords with wool, and checks with stripes, Etro’s collection strikes the perfect balance between its sophisticated, traditional past and a textured, modern future.

The delicious, colorful combinations, best rendered in the first half of the show, boasted special elements like studded wingtip shoes and appliqués of Asian hardware and Indian keys that jingled lightly against traditional corduroy or woolen fabrics.

Set against today’s mantra of original fashion, Etro is delivering the goods.

The company, who just reported an increase of 36% for its 2002 men’s wear sales over 2001, has also embarked on a retail expansion plan, including upcoming store openings in Madrid, Istanbul, Venice and Munich.