PARIS, Mar 2, 2006/ FW/ --- Sometimes it seems that the Japanese wish that the world actually was a manga cartoon. With Tsumori Chisato they can at least get the clothes to go with the fantasy as once again we were presented with a collection that was lifted directly from an animated daydream.

The collection was dominated by white, pastel hues of sky blue, salmon pink and to a lesser extent black, while silhouettes were the typical billowing A-lines so loved by this designer.

Models emerged from within a giant igloo and, taking the Arctic Circle influences very literally indeed, the first exit involved a snow white bubble cut jacket of shaved fur panels sewn together to resemble the ice bricks favoured by Inuit builders. This set the tone for a series of conical woollen capes, ponchos and coats which portrayed naďve winter scenes of foxes or birds. Yes, this was very much a Japanese take on Eskimo chic.

Later we saw boat necked dresses of dense crocket mesh set over a black foundation, coarse ethnic waistcoats woven from red and white twine, and patchwork coats complete with giant fur hood and cuff linings. Colorful embroidered tapestries spoke of people and animals and seemed to tell children’s folk stories of man’s place in the universe.

In homage to the night sky, black was the predominant color of the final series of outfits. Bright spots of lightness illuminated inky dark dresses with maybe a moon winking from the lining. In this way a velvet coat with an all encompassing cape and hood drifted down the runway like something from a fairy tale.

No one else on the Paris calendar has the same bubble gum comic book style as Chisato and, although her designs are very much in touch with the inner child, with their often high hemlines or open cut chests they are not without sex appeal.

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