MILAN, Mar 4, 2003 /FWD/ --- “I like soft porn,” admitted Stephen Fairchild.

“You know the really subtle stuff that is hotly erotic but still manages to be tasteful,” said the boyish designer while waving towards his black and white checkerboard design set.

“I’ve been making some trips to S&M stores recently, they’re actually packed with incredible technical innovation!” Fairchild’s newfound fling with fetishism was epitomized in the collection presented on the still-life mannequins which stood scattered across his life-sized chess board set.

Despite the sexual overtones, the setting was elegant and quiet, a departure from Fairchild’s campy runway routine last season which featured blaring music, models tramping along wooden planks in couture-style headdresses and a stall of standing guests.

“This is 100% me,” said Fairchild, sipping a mojito while surveying his more sophisticated incarnation.

“It’s taken a few seasons but I am really getting in touch with the DNA of my brand.”

No small feat for any burgeoning designer, even if you do happen to be the son of a publishing scion.

So what is Fairchild’s mantra?

“I just want to make money.”

Yeah, sure, don’t we all.

What’s the magic formula?

Here Fairchild had a real answer, “It’s all about modern, wearable, wanted pieces that are affordable.”

This collection, filled with trendworthy pieces splashed with a sense of ‘40s film noir, was certainly a much closer means to that end than prior collections we’ve seen from this designer.

Fairchild isn’t trying to re-invent the wheel, nor does he pretend to do so: “I’m not recreating fashion, I just want people to wear it.”

So he has wisely picked up on many current trends circulating in top fashion tiers and has made them approachable and, better yet, affordable.

A beaten up shearling bomber, with loads of taping detail, was a great complement to a more formal black lace bustier dress. Skirts are of course short, but come out flirty and fun in naughty school-girl pleats.

For a girl ticking off her fashion check list, aviator-style cargo jackets had just the right details: zips, taping and thick knit collars and wrists.

Best of all, a sophisticated suede and leather patchwork, traced with a subtle zipped edge, pranced around tight jackets and slim pants.

Feeling confident and relaxed in his setting, Fairchild announced that he is making the full-fledged leap into menswear.

He has tapped Pietro de Angelis, former head of menswear at Prada and Valentino, to serve as creative director for the line, which will debut next June in Milan.

It’s a big venture, but with an already successful start to his women’s wear, Fairchild is ready to make the plunge.

Taking a step onto his checkerboard set, the designer said, “The game of fashion is just like the game of life. It’s an obsession, and you never know who’s going to win or lose.”