PARIS, Jan 27, 2006/ FW/ --- With checks, tartan and tweeds very much present it seems that British influences hopped on the plane for the short journey from Milan to Paris along with the wandering tribe that is the fashion world.

This being Sonia Rykiel however, it was a more offbeat jumble of references that was presented for next winter: think WASP chic meets Parisian jazz counterculture, all in glorious technicolor. Who else, for example, would pair a homespun cardigan with the rock ‘n’ roll of leather pants?

Always true to her Parisian roots, trousers and baseball jackets came emblazoned with the name, ‘St. Germaine’, in a nod to the non-conformist Left-Bank district, which the designer calls home.

The overall feel of the show however put one more in mind of Harry Potter than anything else with stripped rugby jerseys, heavy, loose weave knits, blazers in corduroy emblazoned with crests, and long scarves bearing the school colors.

The show opened with a series of vivid tartan pieces that drew together red, vibrant blues and gold, all of which would leave traditionalists aghast. Whereas the color scheme may have appeared lurid in large doses though, when applied to a large heart shaped panel across the chest, and set on a skinny black fine-gauge pullover, a good balance between the conventional and the off-kilter was achieved. This really was what the collection was all about: conventional themes reworked with an eccentric twist.

Then came the smart black leather of close-fitting jackets and narrow pants, all detailed with rebellious zips.

For eveningwear we were offered velvet suits of midnight black which were more spacious, lending them a indistinctly romantic air, the somber scarf livened by the glittering rhinestones which also highlighted the collar or waistcoat of the tuxedos.

In this final section white shirts and black ties were also worn with defined black jumpers but, whereas convention dictated a V-neck collar, Rykiel gave us a boat neck, just to show what she thinks of convention.

Rykiel Homme

Rykiel Homme

Rykiel Homme

Rykiel Homme