PARIS, Oct 14, 2002/ FWD/ --- As one of the final shows on the official 2003 Paris schedule, the collection by Karim Bonnet for his label Impasse de la Defense was a DIY sparkler.

Last Friday, in the sometimes uninspiring show space in the Carrousel du Louvre, Bonnet lit up the room.

With bright blocks of color, innovative cuts and proportions and an energetic fresh outlook, the camera-shy designer delighted a jaded crowd.

Bonnet’s color hits came sharp and fast as he covered suits and stiff off-the-shoulder dresses with painted squares and rectangles of red, green, blue and yellow.

Long, fingerless gloves and trousers got the treatment too.

As did leggings which worked under a full length, black chiffon skirt that gushed from a painted bodice.

The designer’s smart and humorous ideas saw a black leatherette cape coat become suddenly desirable with the addition of printed matelot stripes, and different colored packets of buttons joined together to make a surprisingly beautiful top.

Looks that shouldn’t have worked did – such as a skirt of printed rectangles like sheets of sketches tied with a red ribbon under a black, white and red bodice like a torso brace.

Or mismatched scarves and layers over a multicolor leather jacket pieced together with gold rings.

His brave and near faultless use of color beg the question ‘Why isn’t this guy working with Lacroix?’

Sometimes Bonnet’s over-eagerness caused him to stray into unstable territory – manipulating suiting and tops to be worn as completely different items of clothing is best left to someone like Anne Valerie Hash.

But even here he managed to get away with it as long ribbed vests layered over each other transformed into a very credible white column.

And the finishing touch?

A bright, DIY printed scarf hanging down the side.