NEW YORK, Feb 13, 2003/ FW/ --- On Monday night, Marc Jacobs sent out a retro-60's collection that looked as if it had come from the set of Lost in Space(1965). Dr. Smith, the intergalactic environmental psychologist with a delicate back, would have been right at home amid the geometric circles, triangles and tilted zippers. Pierre Cardin made his name doing the same thing 40 years ago, and unfortunately, there wasn't an awfully lot to distinguish the 21st century version.

When Mr. Jacobs designs for his other pet hobby, Louis Vuitton, he can count on the quality of the leather products carrying each season even if his designs fail to cut the muster. But when he works in his own name, there is no such safety net. And the look shown Monday began to become a might too "poussičre", no matter that P. Diddy, who has recently taken to wearing Ralph Lauren, was front row basking in the paparazzi flashes.

As the show had not really captivated anyone's attention, certain editors reverted to their favorite past time: gossiping.

In Paris last month, the same crowd was so bored with the Dior Couture show by John Galliano, that they spent their time together front row resurrecting the rumor of Hedi Slimane's departure from Dior Homme, supposedly to replace Julien McDonald at Givenchy. That story had been discounted before Christmas by Dior officials, and so it was really old news by the time it got picked up by the New York set. So, this time around, lacking any fresh copy, the story became Glenda Bailey and Carine Roitfeld, both of whom claim they, too, are staying in their current positions.

But what is old, can always be made new.

Last week, the United Nations covered up a Picasso when Colin Powell, a love child turned hawk, came to argue his case for war against Iraq. This week, Marc Jacobs lavishly splashed out primary colors. Saturn Orange was paired with Pluto Blue, while aluminum was sprayed on a hooded raincoat. A short-cropped dress of silver strands looked less like it had collided with a meteor, than as if it had been shredded by the Lost-in-Space-Robot's red pincers.

The brightness of Marc Jacob's colors certainly contrasted with the darkness of the world political scene, and if his point was to add a jolt of high energy into distracted times, then the show was a complete success.

From a fashion point of view, though, we've seen it all before in syndication.

Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs

Marc Jacobs