March 03, 2007	Saturday	Safar 13, 1428

PARIS: Fashion is having an Yves Saint Laurent moment.

Polished elegance, as personified by the legendary French designer, has popped up in the autumn-winter collections of everyone from Marc Jacobs in New York to Roberto Cavalli in Milan.

This put Stefano Pilati, the designer charged with steering the Saint Laurent brand into the 21st century, in the curious position of competing with people outside the house for the privilege of safeguarding its legacy.

However, Pilati is a skilled designer in his own right and his display on Thursday boldly traced its own course. The moment the first oversized wool coat emerged on the catwalk, it was clear that the Italian had big ideas for fall— extra-large, to be precise.

Guests including British singer Lily Allen gathered in a gallery of the Pompidou modern art museum, where models emerged against a picture window with a view of the Paris skyline, dressed in ample tunics and wide coats secured in relaxed pleats at the waist.

Sack dresses featured gathered and dropped armholes and the label’s trademark bow in the nape of the neck.

As the soundtrack switched from an urgent drumbeat to a soothing piano tune, Pilati flipped between knobbly wool and glazed worsted. The schizophrenia deepened as a black trapeze shift worn with an oversized dog collar gave way to a sculpted gray wool coat with bell sleeves.

Pilati has shown great reverence for the YSL heritage since he took over the brand in 2004. Though sometimes ahead of his time, the 41-year-old designer is often proved right – he is credited with bringing back the inverted triangle silhouette.

“I think he is definitely one of the top designers in the world right now, and whatever he does is interesting,” said Julie Gilhart, fashion director at Barneys New York. “It’s always that tension of something being really good and something being different.”

With this collection, Pilati may finally break free from the shackles of the master he replaced.

“I think the thing to do is watch Stefano Pilati for Stefano Pilati,” said Gilhart. “Let’s not go back to the past, let’s stay in the present and go into the future.”

Norwegian designer Peter Dundas faces the same challenge at Emanuel Ungaro, though possessing less design depth than Pilati, he has yet to make a similar impact.

The handsome designer, a fixture on the party pages of French Vogue, sent out disco divas in blinding Swarovski crystal dresses and gleaming nylon bomber jackets padded into sensual curves.—AP