PARIS, Jul 1, 2003/ FW/ --- You could have fried an egg on the polished gray floor of the garage where Dirk Schönberger staged his Spring / Summer 2004 show.

At 6 on a percolating Sunday evening, with spotlights bearing down, with a remix live by the appropriately named DJ Hell, the Flemish designer moved up to the big league.

Schönberger has signed on this season with KCD, the exclusive management agency who handles fashion stars such as Helmut Lang (up front), and Saint Laurent (behind the scenes) since its takeover by Gucci in late 1999.

In New York, there are any number of budding new artists on the client list: Zac Posen, a talented, young designer whose been finding it a little harder to get up the hill, especially since Lazaro Hernandez and Jack McCollough of Proenza Schouler have recently been blocking his path.

So it was with great anticipation that the crowd awaited the collection by the newly revamped Schönberger.

At last, models trooped down a narrow passageway from the street, and then snaked their way around long rows of bleachers.

Dirk Schönberger's work always grows on you.

It's only when you start looking carefully that you see all the details, as in the beautiful lines of a set of cargo pants that sensuously accented the youthful male physique, or the delicate satin inseams on a set of black and cream colored tuxes.

Or even more subtly, the extraordinarily worked pleats and patches on a black cotton shirt ribbing asymmetrically around the waist, and clustering around the upper pecs.

There were or course more direct strokes, such as a skull and crossed guitar patch applied to black and white T-shirts - a look the designer himself chose for his evening attire - or bold, white strips edging lapels and creeping down the sides of pants.

Satiny silver, black, suede was stroked with white and silver to form the foundation for this summertime collection.

After the finale, the crowd almost beat the models back out the door to escape the stifling heat.

And there on the tiny rue Hérold in the Les Halles section of town, another young face appeared.

"Your son is absolutely beautiful ma'm. Congratulations," said the man.

"Thank you. I'm very proud," she struggled to reply in heavily accented English.

"Are you coming to the party later on?" he continued, looking over toward the cherubic chiseled face.

"No", replied his mom quickly. "He's too tired."

Dominic, who comes from Poland, has recently signed with the Madison agency.

"I don't know how it all happened," he said dreamily and then smiled. "I'm only just starting."

One wonders if that might be akin to an angelfish swimming unwittingly into a pond full of sharks.

But then again, others have followed the same path, and they've all turned out alright.

"Oh! We're movin' on up to the East side, to a deluxe apartment in the sky, We're movin' on up, and we've finally got our piece of the pie."

Dirk Schönberger

Dirk Schönberger

Dirk Schönberger

Dirk Schönberger

Dirk Schönberger

Dirk Schönberger