For Aelis Couture, love becomes a language. In a time where opposites feel as fragile as crystal, Sofia Crociani turns to art to restore dialogue, offering a vision of peace and connection. Her FW25/26 collection, Love to Love, explores protection, calm and belonging. It is a meditation on how beauty can emerge from vulnerability.
The collection is guided by a single, powerful symbol — red. Not just one shade, but a spectrum: purple red, ruby, iron oxide, lacquer. Each tone tells a story of unity, connecting East and West, North and South. In Aelis’ world, red is not just passion; it is communion, a shared human emotion that transcends borders.
HIERAPOLIS: ANCIENT ECHOES AND THEATER OF LIGHT
The journey began in Turkey, where Sofia visited Hierapolis, the sacred Mediterranean city layered with myths from the pre-Hellenic to Roman eras. Among marble bas-reliefs and weathered theater stones, she imagined purple-red curtains and drapes moving through the ancient air. That vision translated into fabrics sculpted with volume and movement — double satin, translucent tulle, and velvets that carry the weight of history yet feel alive in the present.
One highlight: a strip of blood-red Italian silk resting on a single shoulder, its weight held by embroidery of crystals and gold chains, creating a jewel-like dress that feels both fluid and protective.
Another: a rose-shaped bustier crafted in velours au sabre by the historic Maison Prelle, layered over a flowing organic silk organza skirt. Sofia replaces fur and leather with lush alternatives — silk and chenille velvets, dense cotton velvet — showing that luxury can exist without compromise.
THE POWER OF FRIENDSHIP
The collection is also a dialogue between creatives. Sofia’s collaboration with Christine is a study in mutual respect. Christine’s work — a sculpted creation of upcycled translucent tulle held by fine lace and platinum cords — appears almost weightless, catching and refracting light to reveal an unexpected radiance.
The effect feels personal, as if the emotion of their friendship has been stitched into the fabric.
DETAILS AS POETRY
Accessories by Les Interessants bring subtle layers of history: antique pearl embroidery, sequins that vanish and reappear with movement, and crystal pendants repurposed from 18th-century chandeliers.
A necklace woven from lace and metal cords drapes across the body like an artifact, while Boris’ sculpted hair, recalling a Donatello statue with punk undertones, pushes the narrative further into modern myth.
Menswear finds its own moment in deep blue velvet, paired with purple Merino wool trousers that bloom into a striking fleur silhouette. A delicate scarlet feather, masterfully shaped from overlapping bamboo bands by Mattiart, sits lightly against red-tinted glasses, a whisper of nature against human craftsmanship.
GODDESSES AT LES BAINS
The collection’s muses walk like goddesses of Hades, not in ancient temples but at the legendary Les Bains club in Paris. History and future fold into one another, creating an atmosphere where memory feels suspended in air.The show ends with the powerful voice of Orpheu, his presence anchoring the emotion of the night. The final cinematic moment — a glimpse of Hierapolis at dusk — carries Aelis into what Sofia calls her “Arkeo Fashion Future.” Here, ancient stories and sustainable creation meet, proving that love, in all its forms, remains the most radical act of couture.
