Simone Rocha

Believe it or not – I can’t! – but we’re heading towards a new millenium. So, how do you choose the most important collections, designers and labels of the decade? The ones that made an actual impact in the 2010s? Well, it’s not an easy task. It all began in September 2009 with New York’s spring-summer 2010 shows and ended when the autumn-winter 2019 haute couture shows wrapped in Paris. Few thousands of shows, by the way. There will be 19 posts (that’s really the only possible minimum!) reminding about the best – and if not the best, then strongly influencing – moments in fashion.

Simone Rocha‘s woman-for-women AW19 collection.

Talented women with their distinct style rule in London. There’s Molly Goddard, Victoria Beckham, Mary Katrantzou, Roksanda Ilincic, Surpiya Lele. And there’s Simone Rocha, whose autumn-winter 2019 was one of the very best collections I’ve seen that season. Rocha designs for women – and women love her. Seeing her runway graced by women of different ages, colour and body types was a female power moment, yes, but also an ode to the brand’s clients who trust Simone every season. Chloë Sevigny, Tess McMillan, Kristen Owen, Lily Cole, Sara Grace Wallerstedt, Ugbad Abdi… whether models or not, runway veterans or bold newcomers, all those faces are amazing individuals and characters. And, also, it’s an ultimate proof that full-skirted dresses and coats aren’t only meant for 20-somethings, just like organza see-throughs, bras worn over trench coats and opulent headbands. The collection was a study of female eroticism, a debate between being the object of desire and owning it. As the designer put it in her own words, “it was a about intimacy and privacy, security and insecurity”. Rocha looked at Michael Powell’s disturbing films (like ‘Peeping Tom’, the voyeuristic horror), but also returned to her long-time inspiration – Louise Bourgeois. The artist investigates the subject of sex and tenderness in her works, which as well often takes a darker turn. “I found her series of weavings which she’d made with fabric from her own clothes particularly beautiful,” Simone said. The spiderweb embroideries and prints Rocha used for puffball coats and dresses were made in collaboration with the Louise Bourgeois Foundation – could you wish for a more heartwarming artist appreciation moment? Still, while the themes behind the collection might be not exactly joyous and lightweight, the models – we see you, Chloë – were all smiley and visibly proud to be walking that outstanding show. This line-up could not end up in my 2010s favourites!

Collage by Edward Kanarecki. Chloë Sevigny wearing Simone Rocha AW19, photographed by Harley Weir and styled by Robbie Spencer for Dazed & Confused.

The story behind Simone Rocha‘s phenomenal spring-summer 2020 might not be that obvious – especially if you’ve got nothing to do with Irish origins. “I was thinking about the Irish wren-boys, who go hunt and kill a wren on St. Stephen’s Day in Ireland—punkish boys who go knocking on doors, kind of like trick-or-treaters,” said the designer backstage. “So I wanted to bring that masculinity to the table, but also turn and look into the houses of the people whose doors they knock on – at the Delft china, the tablecloths, the wallpaper.” More explanation: it’s about the pre-Christian wren-boy tradition: the day-after-Christmas parade when men dress in straw outfits, capture a wren, and knock on neighborhood doors to demand money. Some of the girls in Rocha’s line-up had wren feathers painted on their foreheads. The straw was used in basket bags, while in some looks it could have been spotted as an armor covering the dresses. Although the reference might have killed the collection with its heaviness, Rocha created something subtle, magical. Yes, magical. There were hints of something raw and ritualistic: blasts of folk music, straw sashes and crocheted raffia. The delicate blue-and-white ruffles and the nods to old tablecloths and curtains you can find in your relative’s attic brought even more of mystical nostalgia you feel charmed by as a kid. The floor-sweeping gowns that closed the show had something very witchy about them, even etheral. This collection instantly becomes one of my favourites of the season.