February 17, 2019 |
Things come and go, people change, but one thing forever stays the same – that’s the Simone Rocha show topping our list of London Fashion Week highlights. Truth be told, we only saw the first two days, but after last night’s spectacle – we’re almost certain it will be up there again. With arguably the most interesting cast of models we’ve seen this season, Rocha gave us a lot to think about. Her eternally romanticised idea of womenswear was focused on – quite unexpectedly – undergarments. And while we can describe her with many attributes, sexy (in the most traditional sense of the word) isn’t usually one of them. Yet, we were proven wrong. Corseted lines and layers of translucent fabrics gave a sort of perversion we aren’t used to seeing at one of Rocha’s shows. Bralets served as accessories – layered over tops and ballerina dresses, they weren’t focused on function but rather creating a certain silhouette on the body and completing the look, just like a statement piece of jewellery would. And there was actual jewellery on show too – updates on her costume pieces made out of colourful plastic beads that keep on selling like hotcakes. Not stopping anytime soon.
Rocha has impeccable taste. The way she approaches the female body and combines these various elements into one harmonious story, that’s something beyond the role of a designer. That’s a creative vision of one in a million. A prime example was this particular shade of pink – as close to white as possible, in a milky taffeta. Delicate, powerful. Absolutely desirable.
And yes, that previously mentioned star-studded cast definitely contributed to making these new ideas come to life stronger than ever before. Carefully selected by Samuel Ellis and Piergiorgio Del Moro, it was Chloe Sevigny, Lily Cole, Kirsten Owen, Marie Sophie Wilson-Carr and Lindsey Wixon (comeback alert!) that headed this army of badass women, in tune with their bodies, confident in what they show and how they show it through what they’re wearing. It’s clear as a sunny summer day – Simone Rocha doesn’t *just* stand for a designer. Those two words represent a global brand with a bright future.
Photographs by Jason-Lloyd Evans.
