PARIS, Feb 1, 2005/ FW/ --- In a very beautiful setting at Hotel de Ville, Ozwald Boateng signed his second collection for Givenchy Homme sending a very modern, cool and à la mode collection that will surely be all the rage among men, metrosexuals and otherwise.

Hotel de Ville, or the Paris City Hall, for the first time, was used as a venue for a fashion show. Through the courtesy of Paris Mayor Bertrand Delanoe, who sat front row with Bernard Arnault, the fashion flock got a glimpse of this beautiful building.

Unlike in the U.S. where government buildings are open to the public, that is not the case in France, unless the edifice had been turned into a museum like The Louvre and the Palace of Versailles.

So, being received at Hotel de Ville was a treat for everybody, that even before the show started, there were already oohs and aahs being said as everyone admired the beautiful chandelier and masterpieces of art painted on the ceiling.

In short, Ozwald Boateng was in competition with his own venue! But regal and luxurious as the venue was, the designer for Givenchy Homme topped it, and the oohs and aahs immediately went on what was on the catwalk the moment the first model came out.

The Givenchy gent is modern and urbane, at home everywhere from the office to the Opera with his two-button suit or double-breasted jacket in deep maroon or gray be it in charcoal or light.

Reconstructing the 8-button jacket, Ozwald Boateng cut it the hip, and made the collar two-tone, then styled it with a white shirt and thin tie, a look that is elegant and young at the same time.

Shoulders were squared and fit comfortably. The long coat became hooded and plackets hidden, sometimes lined with knits for extra warmth. Even the trench coat was redone with wider lapels and again, two-tone collars.

But it was the finale that brought down the house, a model wearing a cape matched with a hat, followed by 6 models (three on each side) dressed identically in their black suits and hat – a king and his court, or in modern day terms, the President and the Secret Service.

So it was not surprising that there was a deafening applause, as the audience stood up when Ozwald Boateng took his bow. The London-based designer, like John Galliano and Alexander McQueen before him has won over the Paris crowd.

With Ozwald Boateng, we don’t expect anything less because he always has that effect!

Givenchy Homme by Ozwald Boateng

Givenchy Homme by Ozwald Boateng

Givenchy Homme by Ozwald Boateng

Givenchy Homme by Ozwald Boateng