PARIS, Jan 30, 2006/ FW/ --- The invitation to the Kris Van Assche show came in a blue box, containing a white handkerchief and a small note giving the time and date of the catwalk presentation.

So, last Saturday, at the Musée L’Homme, when the first set of models came out in formal suit jackets complete chimneystack hats, the old world charm suggested by the white hankie made sense.

The silhouettes yearned for a time when gentlemen wear black and bow ties, when outer coats matched the suit.

And, giving credit where credit is due, Kris Van Assche brought back that time with a modern perspective with his slim silhouettes and crisp tailoring.

Yet, he was not finished! Flower petals rained on the runway, and all of a sudden, the English gentleman went rustic somewhere in the highlands where May Day’s Eve is still celebrated.

Wearing crowns of wild flowers, two-tone pants cuffed at the hem, the tone became Eastern European.

Bomber jackets and vests were paired with striped shirts that were stenciled with flowers. Belts became obi-sized and ethnic.

Gone was the English gentleman and the nomadic hunk replaced him, making one wonder where the urbanity suggested earlier had disappeared to?

Kris Van Assche

Kris Van Assche

Kris Van Assche

Kris Van Assche