For her second run at the Old Bailey, Simone Rocha gathered her well-dressed minions for her SS25 collection, who were all appropriately donning their Simone x Crocs collab for the occasion. Guests sat down to embrace the Irish designer’s show at the Central Criminal Court, and the runway commenced with the sound of violins.
The presentation was set off by a tailored black coat with slits on the legs, the model wrapping her arms around her torso for cosy vibes. Blacks and light pinks, tulle, organza, ballet flats and embellished knee-high socks maintained their positions as distinctive features of Rocha’s work, bringing in the ever-romantic, dark and light feminine aesthetics that she’s known for.
The collection was very demure, very cutesy, but also very flirty. Inspired by the carnation – which is often donned by men in their jackets at formal events. On her moodboard was the work of legend choreographers Pina Bausch and Michael Clark, referencing Bausch’s Nelken (Carnations), a dance show from the ‘80s which had a stage carpeted with 8,000 carnations. Like Bausch, Rocha embedded carnations all over the collection.
The designer “wanted to poke, wanted to tease, wanted to please” for her SS25 vision, and played on the “relationships between the sexes”. Rocha always aspires to express her specific aesthetic, bringing her vision to life. And she didn’t hold back this season. She did not accommodate to gendered fashion and did not adjust to more masculine looks for her menswear. Instead, the menswear adapted to her feminine vision. Everything was feminine. Simone said: all men are babygirl.
Menswear featured tulle bags, ballet flats, knee-high socks, silky tailoring and a Simone Rocha take on a tracksuit short set – made from silks and organza and embellished with bows, of course – and pink sparkly wool micro-shorts. Her womenswear also expressed her cult hyper-feminine code with expressive tutus, delicate fabrics and fresh tones of pinks and reds. But she did cook a little with the binary. Womenswear looks included more tailoring, and one of the most masculine looks of the collection (a two-piece suit with oversized tailored long shorts) was worn by a female model holding an organza bouquet bag filled with carnations.
The designer also introduced denim to her collection, something that we haven’t seen before, with an added touch of her signature crystal embroidery on the collars – a nice detail, nodding to her guest couture collection at the Jean Paul Gaultier house – and obviously her newest Crocs collaboration also made its appearance on the runway.
Two standout pieces were a pink and red organza tutu-style dress paired with Wizard of Oz-esque ruby slippers, and a lab coat-style sheer coat with embedded fresh carnations within the dress, similar to the iconic tulip dress from her SS24 season.
Overall it was a relaxed, playful, flirty collection that maintained Rocha’s stance as a romantic visionary.
Featured image Simone Rocha©
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