AELIS HAUTE COUTURE SPRING/SUMMER SS26

Statue fragments that become dresses draped in silk: this is the starting point of the research AELIS undertakes in this new collection. Sofia Crociani, invited during a visit to the “Ateliers d’Art du Grand Palais – RMN,” discovered the beauty of the “Atelier de Moulage,” founded by the Louvre Museum in 1794. Following the path traced by the Greco-Roman culture that inspires and nourishes AELIS’s aesthetic, Sofia collaborates with “les Ateliers d’art du Grand Palais -RMN to create dresses inspired by classical statuary, focusing on the draping of these works.

From the very beginning, AELIS works with fabrics, wrapping and draping them around the body like living matter, cutting as few fibers as possible to achieve a natural sculptural effect, a careful and precise process. True to her philosophy of eco-sustainability, cultural transmission, and respect for heritage, Sofia Crociani collaborates with the artisans of the “Atelier de Moulage” to create four dresses in which the techniques of haute couture and sculpture interact through the materials.

AELIS’s creations are inspired by three iconic works: the Venus de Milo, the Winged Victory of Samothrace, and Myron’s Athena. Sofia chose to reproduce the statues’ original drapery, incorporating it into the dresses. The combination of plaster and natural silk creates a striking trompe-l’oeil effect, blurring the line between statue and dress as they move on the body. The fragments of the plaster statues’ drapery embrace contemporary, intangible natural silk fabrics gots certified  that blend with the plaster.

The Niké of Samothrace’s drapery becomes a satin silk voile dress that rests on the model’s body, reflecting the volume of the plaster through an asymmetrical drape. The Venus de Milo lends her dress to two other creations in tulle and silk mousseline, delicately draped over the body. Myron’s Athena becomes a triple duchess satin dress that accompanies, with its sculptural structure, the statue’s delicate drapery.

Another element that characterizes the AELIS collection is the lightness born from observing birds’ “Filoplumes.” These tiny, hair-like feathers detect pressure, touch, and vibrations and translate them into neural signals. They provide birds with detailed information during flight, telling them to adjust their feathers to keep warm or release heat. Les Interessants creates jewelry made of natural pearls woven with filoplumes and fossilized shells from the Sicilian sea, preserved by Sofia and collected by fishermen. The fossilized shell is a work of art sculpted by time, expertly linked to thin chains and pearls, taking the form of a talismanic ornament in the necklaces worn by Francisco, telling the story of the prehistoric fragments he wears.

Pastel-colored dresses in bio silk taffeta, inspired by the paintings of early Renaissance Beato Angelico, evoke the shape of sculpted marble, creating volumes that elude the weight of the material. Metallic tones of gold and silver complement the collection, lending a precious feel. An antic early 20th-century tunic in gold and silk laminate lace creates the evanescent silhouette of a white tulle skirt. AELIS couture presents its creations in another iconic French heritage site:

the Musée du Luxembourg, which, for the first time in its history, hosts a fashion show during Haute Couture Fashion Week. The AELIS muses walk through a room of the Musée du Luxembourg made of stained glass windows and imposing cardboard columns. The “silhouettes” are suspended between the museum’s neoclassical architecture and the nature of the surrounding garden, in a symbiotic, dreamlike, timeless exchange. The Musée du Luxembourg is the first French museum opened to the public in 1750.

All images courtsey of Aelis couture