PARIS, Jun 25, 2004/ FW/ --- Daniel Faret is one of the hardest workingmen in the fashion business. A few weeks ago he was spotted in Asia. Last week he was in Paris, and this week he is in Italy.

Why all the travelling? Well, it’s natural when you are talented and have the need to express yourself. Others have understood that want are doing everything possible to make it all happen.

Faret has made a habit of designing beautiful, yet very different collections not only for himself, but also to other fashion houses who greatly appreciate his wealth of talent and creativity. What is surprising is that each collection for each house has its own distinct personality.

A former student of political science, it’s as if fashion was pre-manifested in his blood from his conception. Born into a textile and manufacturing family, over the years Faret designed and supervised men’s collection for various references in the business: Thierry Mugler, Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, Renoma and Jacques Fath. Buying it with his family, it was at this last fashion house where Daniel Faret was really able to synthesize the very different worlds of fashion designing and the management of a fashion house.

To this list, it must be noted that this one-man-designing show - or simply put Daniel Faret -has also (and in numerous cases simultaneously) been the artistic director for other fashion companies around the world including the French group De Fursac, the Japanese group Itokin and the Chinese group Sundance.

When looking at Daniel Faret’s resume and credentials, one must note that only one of two logical conclusions are possible. Either (A) the man just can’t keep a job or (B) his creativity and vision are like a southern red velvet cake – EVERYONE WANTS A PIECE OF IT! My money is on choice B.

I remember Daniel’s reaction at a dinner two or three years ago when I said to him that it’s eerie to see just what a businessman he really was. When I made the comment, I was afraid that my frankness would be misunderstood as rudeness or a possible slight to his talent. However, Daniel took it to be the intended compliment. That matters because few persons in the industry can boast of successfully possessing the creative and management skills needed to run a fashion house.

Faret knows how to evolve a product and bring it to its full fruition. Created in partnership with Gilles Cirelli in December 1997, the Daniel Faret brand has earned its way into fine department stores across the US and the world including MACY’S in San Francisco and Los Angeles; Le Bon Marche, Madelios, Les Galeries Lafayette in France; David Jones in Melbourne and Sydney; Isetan in Tokyo; and TOOL’S and GALLERY in Berlin. No list would ever be complete without chic and trendsetting boutiques. The clientele at MICHEL RUC (France), JEFFREY’S (New York), CEASAR (Moscow) have all been seduced by Faret’s jetset, yet easy-to-wear collections.

Today Daniel Faret is in Milan preparing for La Perla’s men’s collection, which he has designed since June 2003. He and the grand couturier Christian Lacroix are among the rare French designers to head Italian fashion houses.

But don’t worry folks! Like Lacroix, he’s only on loan to the Italians and has no ambitions to become a permanent expatriate to bold Italia. I caught up to him this week by telephone, and he assured me that he would be back in Paris in plenty of time to present his hallmark collection for the international press and buyers.

As far as his own collections are concerned, I’d like to say that Daniel saves his very best for the collection that carries his name. However, that would be unfair and utterly false!

When one sees the collections for Faret and La Perla labels, or even the Daniel Faret licence that he signed this year with the Chinese group, Zhejiang Zhonxin Wooltex Company, Ltd., it becomes so clear that he accomplishes it all with an apparent easiness that would many feeling discombobulated.

And with all that, there is still some talent left to spare.

For more information about Daniel Faret and his clothing line, please log on: www.danielfaret.com