Mauritius, the theme of Koji Aruga's first collection, might seem at first to be a bit of a misnomer.

There were no beauties parading on the runway in sarongs, no golden girls wearing vivid hibiscus-print dresses escorted by tanned, muscular men in natural-fiber loincloths.

Under interrogation, Aruga admitted that he dreamed of the wind blowing from this Indian Ocean island, the surrounding azure sea, the enveloping blue sky, the green-cloaked mountains and endless white-sand beaches.

It was this palette of tropical colors that inspired his spring-summer 2002 Koji Aruga line, which made its debut at this month's Tokyo collections.

The thirtysomething designer interpreted a kind of paradise beyond a weary world -- a paradise of soft pastel colors, of elegant silhouettes and tasteful accessories.

Interestingly, everything was in leather or suede but without the usual macho connotations. Aruga's designs had a softer touch, including scalloped hemlines, dresses delicately shaped like lily flowers, with the back hem falling slightly below the level of the front, and an angel-inspired flowing cocktail dress.

By sourcing his materials from different countries, he can find the best quality leather that money can buy. "I used Ethiopian and English lamb, Spanish kid, suede from Japan and New Zealand deer this time," Aruga said.

The "crocodile" two-piece trouser suit was not the real thing, even though at first glance it could have been. It was actually pigskin onto which the crocodile pattern had been photo-printed.

Despite his use of Japanese suede, there's little in Aruga's designs to visibly link them to his homeland, and here were certainly no kimono-inspired pieces or colorful floral-print jackets. However, he has not turned his back on what his country has to offer. "I may not directly use Japanese style in my designs, but in a different way I do use traditional methods," he said.

Look closely and you'll see that tradition, such as roketsuzome (batik-dyeing), shibori (tie-dyeing) and dorozome (mud-dyeing).

First impressions matter, and Aruga's collection -- the styles, the colors, the finishes -- all sent a positive message. The metallic finish of a petroleum-blue fitted jacket, the gathered top in sparkling silver or the ivory trouser suit with a special finish resembling washi paper; all are memorable.

In this, his designed-to-perfection debut collection, Aruga has shown that his visions -- either of paradise or of the real world -- mark him as a designer to watch out for in future years.