PARIS, Oct 14, 2002/ --- Dries Van Noten is easily the most successful Belgian designer working today.

His clothes are widely sold globally, and are incredibly popular with women best described as chic and bohemian.

His gorgeously eccentric shoes and bags are cult in London, where they sell out within days season after season.

It is certainly true now that one knows exactly what to expect from the designer's collections: lots of interesting and beautiful textiles sourced from Africa, India, the Middle East, and China, great use of jewel bright and subtle color and print and loose forgiving silhouettes that don't hug the body, but merely suggest a deep sensuality.

It was no different this time.

The inspiration this season was a 1950s silhouette - full skirt or loose deep pocketed culottes belted in and topped with a cropped jacket - combined with African prints, a bit of punk, and lots of occidental-inspired florals.

Of course it looked lovely, especially on the African or red headed models who set off the clothes perfectly.

In a continuation of the ongoing theme of the season, there was plenty of layering going on: blouses over tanks over bras, dresses over trousers, shawls over jackets and so on.

There were standout dresses for day including a orange shirtwaister with a black silhouette print, and a strawberry chiffon wrap dress, and a striking handbag slung across the body which was hung with three mini pochettes.

The one thing which the female members of the audience were all eagerly eyeing up was the delicately beautiful Marie Jo Lingerie in searingly bright pink, yellow and orange which shone though sheer blouses and white shirts, hinting at the sexiness beneath the chic exterior of the Dries woman.