PARIS — For once the message for next autumn from men's designers showing last weekend in Paris could not be clearer: the Mods are back.

The Who's Pete Townshend even did a turn on the catwalk for Comme des Garcons, the influential Japanese label.

The primary influence is early Mod sharp tailoring rather than the later parkas. British designers set the direction for the rest of Europe. They're making men's tailoring look young, modern and eminently desirable.

Oswald Boateng, 28, created a sensation at a packed show Friday night with a collection inspired by the James Bond films. Boateng, who opened a shop in London's Savile Row last year, has a trademark cut: high-buttoning, long, fitted jackets in an array of colors, reminiscent of the late Tommy Nutter, who dressed rock stars in the '60s, '70s and '80s.