Fresh looks from Paris

Paris blew hot and cold in January with haute couture shows that evoked a frosty ice queen and the summer sun of southwestern France.

Chanel stayed true to its signature style, sending out a snowy collection of sharp suits and lean gowns. Sequins and rhinestones sparkled like icicles on A-line cocktail dresses, which were paired with abbreviated bellboy jackets and short-sleeve caplets that fitted squarely over the shoulder.

Christian Lacroix, a native of the sun-drenched southwestern French city of Arles, managed to scatter the clouds in overcast Paris with his vibrant spring-summer display. It drew on all the designer’s signature elements, from eye-popping colors to polka-dot prints to heavy brocade and matador costumes. The draping on the collection’s goddess gowns was so creative, so improbable, that it appeared a single well-placed tug would suffice to send the meters of chiffon tumbling.

At Givenchy, designer Riccardo Tisci married feather-light fabrics with leather straps that had an S&M quality about them to create a subversive-yet-feminine look. His was among the strongest shows yet of the three-day-long haute couture week.

Look for runways styles from Valentino, Jean Paul Gaultier and Elie Saab in next week’s Go!