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Autumn Winter 2026 marks a defining chapter for Dreaming Eli. More than a collection, The Court of the Maddest,
Merriest Things Alive celebrates a union – a creative and emotional partnership that has shaped the brand since its
inception.
“Autumn Winter 2026 marks a special season for us, as it celebrates the union between myself and Arian De Vos. Since
meeting at eighteen, our partnership has shaped both our lives and work from the very beginning. While Arian built
her path in art direction and I founded Dreaming Eli, our creative dialogue never stopped; each collection became a
personal exchange, with her shaping the worlds surrounding my stories. Rooted in the idea of female friendship as an
underestimated yet powerful force, this collection reflects what we call ‘love outside of love’ – the profound connections
that become life’s true anchor. Dreaming Eli is a shared vision that we continue to nurture and grow together. This
season stands as a love letter to female alliance, honouring individuality, difference and the enduring strength found
in connection.” – Elisa Trombatore
At the heart of the season lies a simple yet radical idea: female friendship as the underestimated glue of a life – the
invisible architecture, the support net, the real love. “Love outside of love” became the starting point, a meditation on
connections that exist beyond romance yet often carry greater depth, longevity and truth.
Opposites from the beginning in the way they navigated the world, Elisa and Arian found their bridge in polarity. A
shared obsession with raw beauty, creepiness, sexual freedom and feminism bound them together. They dreamed the
same dream – building something beyond themselves.
What once existed as collaboration now becomes commitment. This season marks their full union, not only creatively
but across the entire business. Within this deeply personal context, The Court of the Maddest, Merriest Things Alive
imagines a contemporary court – not ruled by hierarchy, but by female alliances.
Each look embodies a distinct character within this redefined court, exploring relationships layered with affection
and friction, competition and care, intimacy and self-assertion. The collection celebrates individuality and honours
differences, affirming that true feminine strength emerges not from uniformity, but from diversity and the bonds women
cultivate.
It is a love letter to the complexity of women loving women – platonically, creatively, spiritually – and to the way those
bonds quietly anchor entire lives.
The runway features new 3D-printed accessories created in collaboration with Harry Mack, expanding on the brand’s
pearl-filament bag line. Body jewellery and headpieces in pearl-infused and matte thorn-like filaments wrap around the
body, symbolising constraint and reclamation, transforming symbols of restriction into declarations of power.
Textural exploration is pushed to its fullest with layering and stratification defining the collection; textures range from
layering lace in Dreaming Eli’s signature neutral shades. All fabrics have been distressed, ripped, and burned to evoke
garments with lived histories, which are later enriched with organic freshwater pearl encrustations where destruction
reveals richness. Techniques include hand-shirred silks, innovative textured knitwear, and hand-crushed pleated silks.
New fabrications debut a dense, short-haired stretch faux fur with a velvety, sporty-luxury feel, and a stratified vinyl
leather-effect denim embossed onto lace for added depth. Signature upcycled denim is hand-painted for the first time.
Volume plays a central role, particularly in skirts inspired by Marie Antoinette’s court dress, reimagined through draping
and distressing. Drapery runs throughout the collection, shaping both structure and movement. The collection features
Dreaming Eli’s signature mini corset dresses, bodysuits and mini skirt sets, alongside bold tailored trousers, and hybrid
jackets that combine motorcycle silhouettes with corsetry in vinyl-lace fabrication, as well as dramatic gowns defined
by layered textiles and sculptural draping.
Autumn Winter 2026 is both a manifesto and memory.
It honors the difference.
It celebrates polarity.
It insists that feminine strength is not solitary; it is relational.
Editor notes – Dreaming Eli was founded by Elisa Trombatore in 2021, following on from her MA at CSM, where she was
supported by the Isabella Blow Foundation. Her collections are meant to demonstrate the power, danger, and beauty
of contradiction inherent in femininity. Dreaming Eli has been worn by talent such as Kylie Jenner, Tate McRae, Zara
Larsson, Munroe Bergdorf and many more.