NEW YORK, Sep 21, 2002/ FWD/ --- After a summer crammed with articles on the life of the late Bill Blass, it was heartening to attend the house's spring 2003 women's catwalk show on Thursday morning and see that grand old gent's label, and legacy, is in competent hands.

With a cute, clever mix of the graceful and grand, Blass's successor, designer Lars Nilsson, confirmed again that he gets Bill's concept, yet is also comfortable putting his own stamp on the house.

He's also surrounded by some of the best backup in fashion -- legendary cutter Odile Gilbert for hair, Karl Lagerfeld's favorite DJs Michelle Gaubert and Steven Brinke for music, and Jay Alexander, the man who teaches catwalk stars to walk, doing the casting.

The gals sashayed out smartly in the show's snappy opening, featuring natty wool suits with Bermuda shorts and a money-in-the-bank topstitched biker jacket in navy suede.

For day Lars cut some of the meanest pants around; cut trim at the haunches with a grandiose flare they came in slate gray sharkskin, or megastripe cotton canvas.

His look of multi-pleated taffeta skirts worn with tight striped cashmere sweaters was the epitome of polished sporty chic, as were embroidered cocktail dresses with gold highlights.

Nilsson injected a big blast into his voluptuous eveningwear, with vermilion, Tuscan rose, melon and flamingo; and he updated the mood using broad snakeskin belts and pleated metallic straps and detailing.

Blass always was a great man for the ladies who lunch - albeit while maintaining business careers - and those ladies showed out in force for the presentation in the Celeste Bartos library.

Most of the front row seats, however, were reserved for magazine powerbrokers, including the editors-in-chief of Vogue, Harper's Bazaar, W and Marie Claire.

"He really gets the spirit of Bill Blass. His looks are classy but never matronly. He's done a great job," said Saks executive vice president Sheri Wilson Gray.

Bill Blass by Lars Nilsson

Bill Blass by Lars Nilsson