Feb 18, 2002/ FWD/ --- In the business now for almost seven years, LA-based designer Rick Owens finally staged his first New York runway show Wednesday afternoon, giving the majority of the press corps their first glimpse of his distinctively draped and broken-down designs.

He has, though, been no stranger to the Vogue teams on both sides of the pond.

His creations (in particular, a black leather jacket) has been worn religiously by French Vogue's Carine Roitfeld and prompted Anna Wintour to proclaim him a favorite find.

And it's his highly original aesthetic that's caused all the appeal. "Theatre without ostentation and intimidation," is how he describes his elegant, eerily distressed clothing, which has remained (with the exception of some more tailored jackets and trousers, thanks to a new Italian manufacturer) virtually unchanged since the start of his career.

"This season, too, I didn't use black," explained the 40-ish designer, whose long black hair and black leather jacket and torn T-shirt makes him look more like he oughta be smashing guitars than sewing fabric.

"I'm a bit over it - I find it a little too aggressive." Adding truthfully, but in a tone of complete jest, "For me, gray is the new black."

And so, to the lugubrious sounds of Alice Cooper, Owens presented his fall 2002 collection - a series of swathed looks and raw hems in earthy clay and taupe tones and luxuriously washed and worn-out fabrics like cashmere, leather, T-shirt jersey, silk, and corduroy.

Pants were either cropped to the shin, elasticized around the ankle, or dragged on the floor.

In all cases they hung low and generous -- pajama-like -- around the body.

Paper-thin leather jackets possessed an ancient, wrinkled feel, but remained strong with piqued shoulders, swept waists, and widened, elongated sleeves.

Sumptuous wool and cashmere sweaters languidly swung and hung themselves around the body, fastened haphazardly by an oversized safety pin.

Skirts with exposed sideways seams hinted at fishtail hems, coats were under-stated and oversized, open-back gowns in washed leather and silk trailed along the floor, sexy and easy in a - if you can imagine it - Zen'd-out Morticia Adams kind of way.

And rather new to the Rick Owens repertoire were boots. Knee-high shearling numbers and a pair of "sh*t-kickers," as he described them, were worn with all the looks.

As were washed cashmere caps that covered the whole head - and unfortunately Eugene Souleiman's "straight on top, dreadlocked towards the ends" hairstyles.

Echoing the tone of the collection was the Pat McGrath (the mastermind behind Gucci and YSL) make-up: strong, beigy brown/charcoal gray eyes-made to look "tired, but sultry," and natural skin and lips.

It all made for a somber, mysterious mood that, in times like these, could be a bit hard to swallow.

One fashion critic proclaimed the collection to be "far too depressing."

On the other-hand, its lack of pomp and pretention, it's quiet, broken beauty - quite like the ruins of Rome - make for something quite evocative and moving.