PARIS, Oct 12, 2002/ FW/ --- Last Wednesday, Istvan Francer sent out a magnificent collection for Cerruti that smoldered with a sexiness which at times seemed ready to ignite.

Lavender neon tubes floated alongside a runway of polished ebony, before a stage lacquered in black.

And to make the welcome complete, iced champagne was served up with a buffet of haute cuisine creations that ranged from red snapper on a bed of cubed tomatoes and basil, to Belgian endive banded with seaweed.

With only 3 months notice, the new artistic director chose a chic urban look for his first show.

"I went back to the archives and looked at the history of the house. I wanted to keep the same direction, and that is basically sophisticated tailoring", said Mr. Francer backstage.

"The collection is divided into two parts, one look that has the finesse of men's tailoring, and the other part that is very feminine and slender. It think it's important to have both for the glamour."

And glamour it had: from the opening masculine tuxedo cascading with black beads and worn with a black fedora sprinkled with sequins, to the very feminine, and voluptuous satin dress the color of cocoa, snipped short in front and swept with a long train in back.

There were other delicious morsels to chose from as well, as in a charcoal gray redingote worn with leather musketeer cuffs, or a khaki safari jacket paired with a mini skirt.

Even cargo pants sizzled in ivory and beige.

If the finale of sequined dresses, swimsuits and trenches, glittered in an excess that approached immodesty, that may have been the one week spot in an otherwise stellar collection.

It was a fine start for Mr. Francer, a native of Yugoslavia with Hungarian roots, who lives in Milan, speaks English, and who, incidentally, also signs his own label

Cerruti by Istvan Francer

Cerruti by Istvan Francer

Cerruti by Istvan Francer