Dreaming Eli ‘Mother of Pearl, Daughter of Flesh’

Dreaming Eli‘s Spring/Summer 2025 collection felt like a reverie, an ethereal gateway into a world where delicate meets daring. Lace, corsets and soft silhouettes ruled the collection, as designer Elisa Trombatore transported us to a dreamlike setting in Northeast London. Titled “Mother of Pearl, Daughter of Flesh”, the collection unfolded as tribute to self-love. “This collection is a tribute to my body, my soul,” Trombatore shared. “With every sketch, drape, and stitch of embroidery, I’ve told a story of self-love. It’s raw and unfiltered, dark yet strikingly beautiful—like the luminous mother of pearl hidden inside an oyster. A protective layer, nurturing life.”

At its core, the collection draws deeply from Elisa’s Sicilian roots, connected to the rich mythology of her homeland. The haunting myth of Scylla and Charybdis, two sea monsters that guarded opposite sides of the Strait of Messina, serves as the backbone of the designs. Scylla, with her 12 monstrous feet and six heads, each lined with rows of jagged teeth, comes to life through intricate details, invoking both terror and beauty.

The show itself was nothing short of enchanting. Models, rhetorically transformed into mystical creatures and floated like ethereal beings from a world of fantasy. Glitter-sprayed skin and languid movements gave the show an eerie, dreamlike quality. Emerging from behind a sheer white veil, the models seemed to step from another realm, their hair slicked back into soft, flowing waves. The palette was minimalist yet powerful: dusty pinks, pure whites, deep blues, and bewitching blacks. High-heeled shoes adorned with silk ribbons only enhanced the fairytale atmosphere. Guests were captivated, their senses immersed in the dreamy, almost haunting music that filled the air. Even the nails were kept simple, with clean, white shades adding to the collection’s refined elegance.

The show’s climax came when artist Sophie Tea live-painted one of the collection’s dresses, worn by none other than the designer herself, Elisa Trombatore—a breathtaking moment of fashion meeting art.