CONVENTION CRASHING: MAGIC INTERNATIONAL

Friday, Feb. 16, 2007 | 7:12 a.m.

For three hours on Tuesday, without knowing it, I walked around the Las Vegas Convention Center with a rip in my pants. It was about eight inches long and strategically located.

But did any of the 115,000 attendees of MAGIC International, a fashion show with fashion people - did any of the seriously accessorized women, the men with flagrant hairstyles, the people selling baby clothes decorated with rhinestone skulls, the jet-lagged Chinese factory reps dozing in the hall of purses, the hip-hoppers in elephantine jeans, the rappers in silk suits, or the models armed with assault bosoms - did any of them offer a quiet word to the wise, like, "Hey sweet cheeks, nice boxers?"

They did not.

Theory Number 1: No one said anything because the sight of a man walking around with a notebook, a serious expression and an air-cooled behind was somehow funny and no one wanted to spoil it and they were laughing behind their hands and pointing and

Theory Number 2: No one was sure it wasn't, in fact, fashion.

This is a much better theory, even though I couldn't directly check it when I went back Wednesday because everyone I'd spoken with Tuesday seemed to be gone or having important conversations involving sniggering. But it has the strong support of the guy at the counter.

The guy was standing at the registration counter Tuesday afternoon arguing politely that he should be on the list or get a discount or something. He was, and this wasn't his fault, kind of short. But he was wearing a very large man's fluffy jacket. It was hot pink with black splotches. He had the hood up. The hood had floppy stuffed-animal type wings on it.

The woman behind the counter was wavering, saying, "Well, sir, I don't know, but you do look like a retailer "

He fit right in! He looked normal! So did the guy in the tux-tail jacket, vest, ascot and blue jeans. And the bald model in the torn leopard-print unitard. So maybe big, keister-waving pant rips are OK. Cool, even.

Later, someone told me that ripped clothes are out. The in thing is being Eastern European, which isn't staying pale and eating odd meat products, but wearing boxy clothes in dingy colors. The guy who said this was starting a company to sell organic bamboo T-shirts in red, pill-shaped containers. The shirts had silver crop-circle patterns on them.

His partner, Atilla , explained that all the patterns were from "authenticated crop circles."

"The stalks aren't broken down," Atilla said. "They must have used some kind of high microwave."

Atilla was very excited about the crop circles. But then Atilla (full name: Atilla Oygur, of Turkish and Korean descent but raised in Australia) was excited about everything with which his company was involved .

He was excited about Haute Moms Rule, which makes luxury leather diaper bags for the suggested retail price of $150. He gave us a sheet with pictures on it of famous-like people including Lauren Conrad (reality television), Stacy Keibler (pro wrestling) and Paris Hilton (Paris-ing).

"We've got all the Hollywood moms coming in," Atilla said.

As for the bag's designer, Christine Price, "She's actually a celebrity herself." And so is her husband, who designs video games.

"His company has been chosen one of the best companies to work for in California," Atilla said. "That's hot."

Dad was right

Never throw out a necktie. Wide, thin, it's bound to be in fashion again.

Barbara Blank, designer of fine neckwear and the third Blank to do so at the head of J.S. Blank Co. Inc. of New York City, tried to explain tie width. It has something to do with lapels and colors. Right now, ties are getting thinner because of Europeans and young people. Later, ties will expand.

"You could say it's built in," Blank said. "You can't keep things the same."

And the new hot pattern? Paisley.

Who knew NAMBLA did fashion?

It's Tuesday's daily children's runway show in the central pavilion. The under-10 set goes down the runway in the latest earth-tone casual outfits. Strut, strut, turn, strut, look over the shoulder, strut. A Fergie hit plays.

"So delicious - it's hot, hot - so delicious - I put them boys on rock, rock - so delicious - they wanna slice of what I got."

Overheard

"Like, duh, diamonds."

"I know, hello, hello?"

- Two saleswomen, both blond