PARIS, Oct 7, 2003/ FW/ --- Martin Margiela's show was staged Monday evening at the Musée de l'Art Moderne and unofficially opened the Paris Ready-To-Wear season.

As guests milled about in the sprawling museum's white-walled undercroft, they were served young red wine in recycled plastic cups.

A series of black podiums, shot with huge spots worthy of a Hollywood set, transformed the atmosphere into a made-for-TV reality show.

And when it began, almost an hour late, longhaired models with hair pulled down to obscure their faces, were ferried about the labyrinth by male escorts dressed head to toe in black.

The collection was largely an asymmetrical mélange of old parts - men's tuxedo jackets, pin-stripe vests, and satin skirts - reassembled into new creations floating with the lightness of a mobile.

New shimmering dresses of black satin were recast with various pieces in appliqué.

Occasional black or white chiffon stoles bound around the arms and breasts creating a neatly tucked body wrap.

Sequined necklaces and armbands brought sparkle to the otherwise flat finish.

In contrast to the bright colors seen in New York and Milan this season, Margiela's palette held firmly to graphic black and white, with only dashes of subtle colors like pale sky blue, dark chocolate or oyster-gray used sparingly.

But the sheer fabric of choice was lily-white, and the legerity of the pieces splashed like cool water on a hot summer's day.

There was a childlike simplicity to it all, reflecting Martin Margiela's innate ability to create pop art without a script.

One recalls 1950s star and cult figure James Dean, who strung together chicken bones leftover from dinner and came up with a piece of delicately floating artwork.

When complimented on his achievement by Roger Brackets, his response was right to the point: "What's a mobile?"

Martin Margiela

Martin Margiela

Martin Margiela

Martin Margiela