Sofia Crociani has built Aelis on posing questions about consumption, femininity, power and beauty.
This season she took that to a deeper — and slightly darker — place, presenting a collection that felt more substantial in both construction and a challenging point of view.
Her penchant for lightness remained, demonstrated in translucent fabrics, delicate volumes and romantic silhouettes, but this season several pieces carried more structure and weight.
The dramatic feathered cape that opened the show was a standout, while a cobalt velvet gown evoked the Renaissance. A final pink ballgown was full of Crociani’s signature folds that transformed the soft tulle into something architectural.
Crociani continued her collaboration with the Grand Palais’ Atelier de Moulage, creating sculptural fragments inspired by Roman commanders’ togas. Plaster transformed with black pigment into a concrete-like material secured the shoulder of a draped duchesse satin gown as a symbol of power.
But the collection’s central statement came through her use of hair. Working with ethically sourced hair as embellishment, Crociani explored the idea of keratin — after all, human hair, wool, hooves, feathers and fur all belong to the same family, yet fashion assigns them very different values.
By using hair as a core element of her collection, she wanted to challenge the way so-called luxury materials are perceived and questioned the true cost behind them.
Reclaimed feathers, including the ones on that stunner of a cape, were archival egret to reference the millinery plume trade that drove the birds to the brink of extinction in the early 20th century. That melancholy note reinforced the designer’s ongoing exploration of humanity’s impact on the natural world.
Unfortunately, that might not be obvious when scrolling looks through Instagram.
As always with Aelis, the collection demands attention beyond the surface. Crociani’s work is deeply researched, and the concepts are often as important as the garments themselves. That intellectual approach can make the clothes challenging, but it is also what gives the brand its distinct identity.
Crociani has developed not only a recognizable house design code, but a moral one as well.
