PARIS, Feb 26, 2007/ FW/ --- On the first evening of Paris Prêt-à-Porter, Bruno Pieters opened his runway show for Fall 2007 with a totally red look, followed by other two completely red outfits. A distinctive feature in the general grim of black and dark greys.

Red, yes, yellow also, dark grey, some black, and two shades of gold and bronze are on Pieters’ selective palette for the season which definitely makes a statement. Bruno Pieters is not a trend follower, he is part of the very few today who think that a designer is meant to set a style trend and he has asserted it clearly in several ways, presenting yesterday his collection of elegant pieces with class at Palais de la Découverte.

Geometrical inlays of the same fabric in nearly every garment, inventive sleeves geometrically puffed on the lower arm, double layers of coats -the last being worn over the shoulders-, made up a collection of strict beauty, topped by spatially geometric accessories too. Red lacquered cylinders worn horizontally on the forehead matched the same smaller shapes tied with a bracelet around the wrists; rounded headbands fully revealed the face while the hair was strategically tied in a ponytail completely clad in big black geometrical gems of leather to fully discipline the silhouette.

Although there was a Japanese crisp in the air, because of these accessories mainly, the collection was not themed directly by the culture and codes of the Rising Sun Empire. A tribute to the fashion icon of the 70’s and 80’s Tina Chow in the press notes set another light on Pieters’ inspiration. The half German-American, half Japanese New York celebrity who occasionally modelled throughout her life might well have been his muse for the collection.

Never a mainstream beauty, her enduring influence was always one step ahead of anybody: more than a fashion lover, Tina Chow had an entrancing, innate skill at pared-down elegance. This is certainly what Bruno Pieters has successfully tried to grasp with these chic pieces that are feminine but never chichi, stylish but never outrageous, apparently classic but gently provocative.

This inspiration and muse have allowed him friendly eyewinks to the story of the woman who married Michael Chow -the owner of the Mr. Chow’s restaurants- who had scandalized Yves Saint Laurent himself in having the uniforms of her husband’s staff, entirely bought at YSL Rive Gauche boutique. Eyewinks and references to Saint Laurent or even to Claude Montana in the cuts themselves were clear throughout the collection, but discreet.

Bruno Pieters’ extremely high boots of matching colour finished the looks perfectly. His gold and bronze pieces often paired with black were resolutely interpreting past elegance for the future. A favourite is certainly his high-waisted flouncing skirt that immediately gives a particular stature to the silhouette because of interesting proportions.

Displaying hardly ever more than two colours in the figures he sent on the runway, Bruno Pieters illustrated very well last night a Yves Saint Laurent phrase of which Tina Chow has been, for all her life, an illustration: “Fashion fades. Style is eternal”.