The Wonderful World of Simone Rocha

From her initial breakthrough into fashion in the early 2010s to the British Womenswear Designer Award (2016) and many other distinctions, Simone Rochas continues to inspire fashion lovers worldwide.

The fascination with Simone Rocha’s designs comes from a unique balance of romance and functionality, delicacy and strength. Her unique vision of femininity gained her a strong voice within the industry.
In a world where shapes and silhouettes tend to become more minimal and androgynous, finding new ways to express femininity and staying modern is a challenging goal.

Simone Rocha Spring 2023 RTW / Photo: Filippo Fior, Gorunway.com

Simone Rocha’s SS 2023 collection at London Fashion Week features another genuine sample of the Irish designer’s particular style. The keywords that best describe this collection could be: sensuality, fragility, layering, and power.

The fashionable silhouettes seduce through an exciting combination of romantic gowns and utility pieces, everything adorned with Rocha’s signature embellishments – frills, pearls, embroidery bows, and paillettes.

The central elements of Simone Rocha’s Spring 2023 collection are the oversized bomber jackets, the puffy tulle dresses, and the adjustable straps. I love the use of the straps – the crisscrossing effect, the long ends popping from underneath layerings. The oversized jackets are fantastic, whether you look at the classic khaki version, the floral printed recalling duvet style or those adorned with bold paillettes flowers.
Beautiful indeed.

Simone Rocha Spring 2023 RTW / Photo: Filippo Fior, Gorunway.com
Simone Rocha Spring 2023 RTW / Photo: Filippo Fior, Gorunway.com
Simone Rocha Spring 2023 RTW / Photo: Armando Grillo, Gorunway.com

Dior vs. Modernism

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Taking inspiration from Bernard Rudofsky’s historical & provocative exhibition – Are Clothes Modern? (MoMA, 1944), Maria Grazia Chiuri clearly states her intention to redefine the modern couture at the House of Dior. It is not easy to make things look modern when it comes to haute couture. It is very challenging, and there are very few designers to succeed in redefining couture (I believe Iris van Herpen is one of the few).

However, Maria Grazia Chiuri who was recently awarded French Legion d’Honneur, brings in a new approach and a clear intention to change. Therefore, the white dress in the opening of Dior Fall 2019 fashion show works as an open manifesto.

I have selected for this post a few details from Dior Fall 2019 couture collection, that in my point of view, look truly modern (the socks-style sandals inspired by Rudofsky’s designs, the braided hairstyling paired with black veils).

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Images source: vogue.com

Louis Vuitton Cruise 2020 @ TWA flight center

Under the creative direction of Nicolas Ghesquière, Louis Vuitton fashion shows benefit from very special locations.

While Louis Vuitton’s Cruise show was staged at the Miho Museum in Kyoto, Japan, and 2019 Cruise show was hosted at the Fondation Maeght in Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France, Nicolas Ghesquière choose for  Louis Vuitton Cruise 2020 collection another iconic location – The TWA flight center, a newly renovated terminal of JFK airport. Designed by Eero Saarinen, the place was recently transformed in a public lobby for a new hotel by firms Beyer Blinder Belle and Lubrano Ciavarra Architects.

Working in collaboration with artist Es Devlin, the chic terminal featuring a red heart-shaped lounge was filled with plants to look like an hi-tech oasis, perfect to host a Louis Vuitton fashion show under the direction of Ghesquière. That was definitely a perfect match for an impeccably designed collection.

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TWA flight center, JFK airport, New York

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Louis Vuitton by Nicolas Ghesquière, Cruise 2020 collection

 

The Gucci Tribe

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Besides the spectacular/weird mise-en-scene at Milan Fashion Week mocking an alien like medical theatre and featuring severed heads, toy accessories and additional eyeballs, the Gucci Fall 2018 show celebrated the joy and playfulness of constructing individual identities in our global world. Fashion is about experimenting with the clothes, constantly re-contextualizing and re-purposing, shifting aesthetics and ideals, changing perspectives and generating new trends. Alessandro Michele’s vision is extremely relevant nowadays, as it definitely appeals to a new generation of fashion consumers. It connects various cultures and tastes, taking the pulse of big urban environments. And after all, the garments and especially fashion accessories are creative and comercially appealing. I love the veils and balaclavas, head jewelry and kitten glasses, turbans and oversized earrings.
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Gucci Fall 2018 RTW / images source: vogue.com

Best of Spring 2018 Couture

If Couture still has the power to impress the fashion lovers these days is mostly due to the exquisite fabrics & amount of craftsmenship put in each and every piece. Besides, we would like to see some modernity in these outfits and silhouettes.

See my favorite looks of Spring 2018 Couture below:

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Dior – Spring 2018 Couture

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Givenchy – Spring 2018 Couture

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Valentino – Spring 2018 Couture / images source: vogue.com