PARIS, Oct 9, 2002/ FWD/ --- It seemed innocent enough. Five guitars and a drum kit on stage before a Hussein Chalayan show.

The shy 32 year old Londoner, who never takes a bow at the end of his presentations, always has live music to accompany his shows.

Yet, as the show was due to start, out came the musicians and there among them was the retiring designer picking up his new bass guitar, getting ready to play.

Chalayan had enlisted the London-based Susan Stenger band, who provide the performance music for the avant garde dancer Michael Clark and his troupe.

While he played, his brow furrowed in concentration, out came a beautiful, thoughtful, and sexy – yes sexy – collection.

Chalayan has not only found the confidence to face the fashion crowd, he has discovered sex, stretch, color, animal prints and even the ability to show some flesh.

Naturally there was a poignant message in there: among them Chalayan told FWD was "the state of affairs, the clash of Western and Middle Eastern culture, enemy states, the celebration of the body and the denial of liberty."

The opening look of leggings and a stretchy bomber jacket in teal or turquoise, or stretchy tops with cutouts and minis worn with high heeled sandals, set the tone.

It was followed by a chic backless halter blouse and high-waist black pants, smart jersey T-shirt dresses with loose jackets sewn on and ruched up to slip sexily off the shoulder and chic popper fronted shirts with slashed arm holes and skirts with a deep ribbed waistband.

His version of the trouser of the season – the long skinny combat pant – (how many more can the retailers take?) was done beautifully in soft pink or army green crumpled cotton with tobacco ties dotted all over and little zipper pockets.

These were worn with little matching jackets with roll-up sleeves, and could be transformed from long to bomber shape with buckles and ties.

So far so cute.

Then came the real Chalayan statement: short layered stripy T-shirt dresses with great scoops cut out of them to reveal the abstract parts of the torso and back.

These came out in a progressively more disheveled state and ended up in nude chiffon tatters for evening wear.

Then they morphed into dresses with what can best be described as exploding innards, that got more and more violent looking until the finale dress.

It was as ever a stunning performance.

"He is a genius," said Franco Pene of Gibo, Chalayan’s manufacturer, after the show.

"He is also becoming a showman. I keep joking that he is becoming like Viktor & Rolf."

Since teaming with Gibo Chalayan’s sales have doubled.

This collection will maintain his rise.

Hussein Chalayan

Hussein Chalayan