Aelis Couture Fall 2020
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“The collection that we made this season was very emotional,” said Italian designer Sofia Crociani, who worked in her house in Tuscany during a three-month lockdown. “It was very important to me to give a very positive message and do a collection that is inspired by beauty and art.”
Always pursuing a durable approach to couture, Crociani started by using fabrics she had at home for the 10 new pieces. Silent movie stars, Man Ray portraits and classical nymphs also inspired her.
As usual, Crociani enjoyed working with long swaths of uncut fabrics and fashioned the ethereal line with newfangled and contrasting materials.
A white and a black dress was made of artisanally produced tulle spangled with actual pieces of silver, to shimmery effect. A black silk-jersey dress with a plunging neckline came paired with draped ivory taffeta, which cascaded from the middle.
To conceive the video presenting her couture collection, Crociani contacted a friend, Frankfurt-based choreographer Jacopo Godani, who is equally engaged in sustainability.
“Ecology” and “ethical” were starting points, and Godani took a cue, as well, from Michelangelo’s painted ceiling in the Sistine Chapel.
During the performance art film, dubbed “Angelness,” dancers wear and carry the fall couture collection, plus four looks from prior seasons. Set in a vast room, reminiscent of a church, they seem otherworldly, sometimes like angels fallen to the ground or multi-legged or -armed creatures.
It was fantastical, in every respect.
Launch Gallery: Aelis Couture Fall 2020
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