Paradise Lost, Couture Found: Celia Kritharioti’s Frozen Eden Amid a Paris Heatwave

Falling faux snow enraptures a model on the runway at Celia Kritharioti's haute couture show in Paris. Photograph (above) and cover picture by Brittany Scott for DAM

During one of Paris’s hottest Haute Couture Weeks, Celia Kritharioti presented Frozen Eden, creating a sharp contrast between the city’s summer heat and the collection’s icy visual world. Jennifer Lopez arrived with her sister, and were enthralled along with other guests, as the show unfolded with its exploration of purity and temptation. Story by Jeanne-Marie Cilento. Photography by Brittany Scott 

A crystalline crown and gown  

represented the Frozen Eden

theme.

PARIS was already sweltering early on a July morning, when Celia Kritharioti invited guests into an entirely different world. Her Autumn/Winter 2026-2027 collection called, Frozen Eden, transformed the intimate venue of the Galerie Vendome into a crystalline winter landscape where snow-covered trees, glittering icicles and frosted pathways set the stage for designs inspired by the moment innocence gives way to temptation.

The spectacle began before the first look appeared, as Jennifer Lopez arrived with her sister Lynda Lopez, drawing a wave of photographers that delayed the opening of the show. 

Joining her in the front row were U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle, Fai Khadra, Leonie Hanne and Greek shipping magnate Nikos Tsakos, reflecting the designer’s global reach and the international appeal of a house that continues to place Greek couture on the French capital's stage.

Drawing on the biblical Garden of Eden, the Greek couturière imagined a world frozen in the instant after the forbidden fruit had been taken. It was a poetic concept, explored through the interplay of seduction, concealment and revelation. 

White and silver dominated the opening looks, with crystal embroidery sparkling like frozen tears across delicate tulles and fluid gowns. Models emerged with snow-dusted hair, frosted eyelashes and jewel-encrusted faces, reinforcing the dreamlike atmosphere.

Drawing on the biblical Garden of Eden, the Greek couturière imagined a world frozen in the instant after the forbidden fruit had been taken.

An elegant long, black cape flowed

over a floor-length white gown. 

Texture became one of the collection's greatest strengths. Rich black velvet provided dramatic contrast to whisper-light lace and sheer fabrics, while feathers, shimmering fringe and intricate crystal embellishments introduced movement despite the icy narrative. 

Metallic appliqué and sculptural embroidery reflected the light with every step, giving many garments the appearance of being carved from ice rather than sewn by hand.

Among the standout pieces was a dramatic serpent-inspired gown, its sinuous silhouette providing a visual reminder of temptation within the frozen paradise. 

Equally memorable were elegant column dresses embroidered with thousands of crystals and sweeping capes that balanced theatricality with refined couture craftsmanship.

Kritharioti has never subscribed to the obsession with understated luxury. Instead, she embraces glamour with conviction, celebrating embellishment, femininity and occasion dressing. That confidence was evident throughout Frozen Eden, where every look felt unapologetically cinematic without descending into costume.

The production itself occasionally became part of the performance. Artificial snow covering the runway proved so deep that several models lost their shoes mid-walk, adding an unexpected moment of drama before the finale delivered a gentle snowfall over the entire cast.

was a poetic concept, explored through the interplay of purity and seduction, concealment and revelation 

Hair was lightly dusted with artificial

snow with frost-white lashes and 

sculptural silver tears on the cheeks.

The beauty direction proved integral to the collection's storytelling. Hair was lightly dusted with the artificial snow, while the makeup transformed models into ethereal figures suspended in a frozen landscape. Frost-white lashes radiated outward like delicate ice crystals, and sculptural silver tears traced down cheeks, lending the faces an otherworldly quality. 

Tiny crystal embellishments caught the light with every movement, echoing the sparkle of the embroidery and reinforcing the illusion that each woman had stepped directly from Kritharioti's imagined winter paradise. 

Conceived by legendary makeup artist Val Garland with hair by Eugene Souleiman, the look was theatrical yet exquisitely controlled, complementing rather than competing with the couture.

As the oldest couture house in Greece, founded in 1906, Celia Kritharioti continues to honour traditional craftsmanship while presenting collections that resonate with an international clientele. Her new collection reaffirmed the enduring appeal of fantasy, meticulous handwork and unapologetic glamour. In a season defined by conceptual minimalism, Kritharioti reminded Paris that couture still has the power to transport its audience into another world.

See more highlights from the Celia Kritharioti haute couture AW26/27 collection in Paris