Toreador jacket the focus of Lacroix's breathtaking couture show

Christian Lacroix went back to his roots in the Provence city of Arles and sent out a breathtaking spring-summer couture &to=http://english.pravda.ru/region/2002/06/05/29807.html' target=_blank>collection that drew applause throughout and a standing ovation afterward.

His signature toreador &to=http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/90/363/12065_fashion.html' target=_blank>jacket was the subject for study, and it showed up in many new and elegant forms, beginning with a waist-length Spanish-style black silk jacket with an embroidered and scalloped silver floral pattern, worn over a multitiered chiffon skirt.

Later on, the theme showed up in a black waist-length toreador jacket etched with gold embroidery on the back and worn over a white lace tiered skirt pulled high on the thigh to one side. The bullfighter's trousers were translated into silk satin capris with tiny rosebud embroidery down each leg.

The bustle dresses that appeared in Lacroix's first couture show two decades ago were back. This time around they were cut from luxurious silks, brocades and mousseline dotted with pale sequins. Ball gowns had fitted bodices with soft draping over the front and great big poufs of soft chiffon. Though voluminous, these dresses were delicate and soft as clouds.

Fans have come to expect sumptuous fabrics from Lacroix, and this show did not disappoint. There was gilding on ivory chiffon, a mix of abstract prints with bold brush strokes and delicate floral patterns evoking thoughts of the palace at Versailles. These are dresses that make a woman dream.