Gothic Rebels: Don’t be Fooled by Simone Rocha’s Fragile Fresh-Faced Choir Girls … They’re No Angels.

Image and Video Credit: Simone Rocha

If a sense of seditious femininity is what Simone Rocha went for in this Fall 2021 collection, she certainly succeeded in delivering it in a series of beautiful doses. Angelic models with pearls in their platted hair, anchored in punkish black platforms and dressed in biker’s jackets & leather coats, stomped rather unceremoniously past stained glass windows in what appeared to be a decidedly pious setting. The tension was tangible, the contrast couldn’t be more exaggerated.

Silhouettes were sculptural and theatrical, the contrast between fabrics combined in each look was staggeringly well considered. Opposites certainly attract! Heavy black leather jackets and coats with belts, zips and all the paraphernalia that spell Rebel Without A Cause were juxtaposed with the most delicate of embroidered lace, fragile tulle, nostalgic pearls and beautifully constructed oversized applied fabric roses. A predominantly monochromatic palette of black and white was occasionally broken up with the injection of a well-considered splash of colour or embroidered tulle.

One of the most pleasant surprises in this arresting collection was when, as of from nowhere, an angelic model appeared in what could easily be mistaken for a wedding dress. Henceforth virginal beauties in pure white, cream and blush ensembles, pearls swishing, strutted their stuff before this gave way to a grittier olive green and black utilitarian look.

The characteristic Simone Rocha silhouette of a fitted body with wider skirt made its appearance in many places. Pearls served to soften the black leather looks, not only in the models’ hair and on some of the garments but also on some of the sturdy black platform shoes, to striking effect. The oversize collared white shirts added a lovely uniformity and practicality to the collection and as has become a trademark of this designer, the attention to detail in aspects like the gathering of a sleeve, the overlay of different textures, exquisite embroidery and fabricated constructions (like the beautiful roses) was second to none.

The leather harnesses were a fascinating accessory and one can only speculate about their symbolism in this collection – perhaps these angelic girls did need a bit of reigning in after all….!