Designer Stephen Fairchild is planning a novel presentation of his fall 2002 collection in Milan, with a soiree Sunday March 3 bringing together fashion, the Orient, famous folks and what the Europeans call football.

The collection will be shown on models mingling with guests at a Chinese-themed event, of which the director of the film noir classic "The Shanghai Gesture" would have undoubtedly approved.

"I have been looking at influences of the Silk Road all the way from China to Turkey. I love English ideas in fashion when it's taken out of Europe. That's why we ended up in Shanghai," Stephen explained to FWD.

"How many shows can editors go to? We want to show fashion in a new way. It will be technology mixed with China and fashion, and maybe a few drinks," he added.

The colonial-style event, to be staged in the Hotel Diana Majestic, will feature (fake) opium pipes, lounge jazz, hundreds of orchids and a rat pack of Italian sports and TV stars.

The show is scheduled to take place right after the local derby between Internazionale and Milan. (Think the Subway Series twice a year before 75,000 screeching Milanese supporters.)

Competing for the role of Victor Mature we have the Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta and Christian Vieri, the Rocky Marciano lookalike who will lead Italy's attack in this summer's World Cup in Japan and South Korea. Costacurta's wife, the beautiful blonde Martina Colombari, and Vieri's girlfriend, TV hostess Elisabetta Canalis, will duel for the role of Gene Tierney.

"We're going to have some fun. Why does fashion have to be so serious," explained Fairchild.

That sounds about right. Don't forget the tagline for "The Shanghai Gesture": "Lured into a world of vice there was no turning back."