LOS ANGELES, Apr 6, 2003/ FW/ --- Crowds gathered for Ghost's Autumn/Winter 2003 fashion show last Thursday.

The excitement was palpable. Word was already out: Ghost was going to be wonderful.

And it was.

The theme for the night was "Defining Purple" and the clothing certainly represented that.

Unlike the other designers during Los Angeles' Fashion Week, Ghost opted to avoid the common blacks and browns shown on the runway.

The color palette ran from the truest purple to navy, pinks and red.

Ghost has a refined, modern and feminine look to the clothing.

It is entirely attractive and fluid. And offered a great variety in style.

While one piece was distinctly "Alice in Wonderland" innocence, another was smart and commanding.

Colored geometric patches were readily used on jackets and skirts.

And unlike many designers, the skirt lengths were generally to the knee rather than the mini, popular this season.

The only problem many commented on with Ghost's collection was the Ghost signature reindeer, which appeared on the backs of several otherwise lovely pieces.

Dresses and jackets alike were not safe from this pitfall of fashion.

The best of show: A corset-like shirt with bell sleeves and sleeveless multi-hued purple tie neck dress that went daringly low in the back.

Both items were incredibly hot and caused the room to break in thundering applause.