SIMONE ROCHA
A Simone Rocha design is usually recognized at first sight! The Victorian provocative imprint and her obsession for certain details and materials, such as taffeta, pearls, lace, tulle, sequins, embroidery, bows or flounces, have conquered a wide audience, after her cooperation with H&M. The extremely feminine style, which is by no means obviously soft or girly, also convinced Adrian Joffe and Rei Kawakubo, who included Rocha in their “Dover Street Market” community. The daughter of the designer John Rocha spent her childhood and adolescence among sketches and fabrics in her father’s Dublin atelier, studying art before enrolling in the cadre of “Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design”. She launched her fashion line in 2010 at the age of 23 and now has three flagship boutiques in London’s Mount Steet, New York and Hong Kong.
Who were the decisive figures in your career, apart from your father of course, who gave up his design line six years ago to help you?
Louise Wilson, Lulu Kennedy (founder of the London-based promotion fund “Fashion East,” ed.), Adrian Joffe, Robbie Spencer (stylist and fashion journalist, ed.), Jefferson Hack (editor and creative director, ed.), Edward Enninful (editor-in-chief of British “Vogue”, ed.).
How do you work with stylist Robbie Spencer for your shows and campaigns?
We have known each other for 15 years, since I interned at “Dazed” when I was an art student. Our dialogue is absolutely fundamental to my collections.
Tell us about your favorite designers?
Hubert de Givenchy because of the modern interpretation of volume and silhouettes. Cristóbal Balenciaga because of his draping technique and construction skills. Rei Kawakubo for the extraordinary beauty of what she does. Miuccia Prada for her contemporary and conceptual way of emphasizing femininity. And Jun Takahashi, for his sense of humor and his ability to take you out of reality.
A highlight in your career?
Two important shows: the 2014 fall/winter collection, presented at the “Tate Modern”, and the 2020 spring/summer collection, which I wanted to stage in a former Victorian theater.
Your favorite photographers?
I have an ongoing collaboration with Jacob Lillis, he has been documenting my collections for seven years, we have our own language. Colin Dodgson has added a new dimension to my collections, collaborating on some projects in Ireland with his strange and beautiful vision. And Harley Weir, with whom I compounded my book on the female gaze, a tribute to women who inspire me, most notably Louise Bourgeois.
What personal qualities have brought you success?
I am extremely practical, I listen to my emotions, and I am determined.
What fascinates you most about Victorian style?
I like it when history is reinterpreted in a way that resonates in today’s world.
What have you learned from working with Moncler?
That I can translate my identity into another brand while keeping my signature features in a strong way.
Who would you like to do more collaborations with?
With Nike, with Astier de Villatte (Parisian ceramics brand on Rue Saint-honoré, ed.) or with Officine Universelle Buly (a cosmetics brand inspired by 19th century French perfumery, ed.).