Born in Ireland in 1986 and the daughter of fashion designer John Rocha, Simone Rocha spent her teenage years working at her father’s studio and inevitably fell in love with fashion. She studied at art college in Ireland before completing her training at Central Saint Martins, and she is passionate about her Irish roots.
At Central Saint Martins, Simone Rocha studied under the famous Louise Wilson. She has a similarly voluminous aesthetic to that of fellow student Molly Goddard. Yet Simone has her own distinctive handwriting: Victoriana, lace, pearls, frills and flowers crop up again and again, along with her signature colours of red and black. Her clothes have an air of innocence and yet darkness at the same time. Her accessories are delicious — red perspex jewel-like headbands and fluffy sliders add an air of playfulness. No self-respecting fashionista would be seen last season without her giant pearl hair slides!
You don’t have to be slim to wear her clothes, and women of every age can find something within her collection. Having been stocked in Colette in Paris and championed by London’s Dover Street Market, Simone Rocha now has her own stand-alone store in Mayfair. On our last tour her own mother happened to pop by and was happy to talk proudly about her innovative and successful daughter.
Sunna Yates
