Simone Rocha cites her home comforts as including, “Flowers in the house, clean sheets and Rufus, my dachshund.” With a tracklist curated by her younger brother and a show inspired by the style of her grandmothers, it is beautifully clear how important family and home are to the young designer. Rocha’s A/W13 collection is an endearing combination of youthful charm and feminine delicacy with a subtly eccentric punch. “Modern, romantic and strong,” as she herself sums it up. It nods to a bygone era of twinsets, hairnets and peacoats, updated by twists of faux fur and patent leather. The collection was created to a backdrop of “Patsy Cline, Elvis, Kendrick Lamar and Radiohead”, which perhaps explains the juxtaposed eras, a subtle blend of 1950s femininity and 90s grunge; candy pink wool and black crochet; an elegant dress teamed with velvet loafers and sparkling fur.
"The collection nods to a bygone era of twinsets, hairnets and peacoats, updated by twists of faux fur and patent leather"
“On the wall are pictures of my Grannies and great aunties in furs, alongside Jacob Lillis photographs,” explains Rocha. This again suggests the blended genres within her collection of nostalgia, youth and quirky detail.
“I have a lot of plants in my window; cacti and dried flowers,” Rocha continues. “On my desk at the moment there is a little glass bottle with a porcelain doll’s head and the plant journal. There are lots of books like William Eggleston, Peter Beard, Degas, Louise Bourgeois and From Here To There: Alec Soth's America, which was a good luck gift the day before my show.”
Text by Mhairi Graham
