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SIMONE ROCHA’s Inimitable Vocabulary of Big Skirts, Voluminous Sleeves and Badass Biker’s Jackets Puts a New Spin on an Old Irish Tale.

All Image and Video Credit: Simone Rocha and Vogue

‘The Black Swan’ with its transparent midriff

Watch Simone Rocha’s show here: https://londonfashionweek.co.uk/schedule/646/simone-rocha-autumn-winter-2022

She’s the undisputed queen of the ultimate voluminous sleeve and the even more capacious crinoline underskirt. Simone Rocha’s trademark silhouettes in their predominantly monochrome black or white or two-tone black-and-white were presented to a live audience in the rather sombre setting of a medieval hall in London’s Inns of Court with its dark wooden floorboards.

The accompanying violin tunes were – for good reason – somewhat grinding and suspenseful too, adding to the overall ambience of the show. Backstage the designer explained that she was inspired by Irish mythology and the Children of Lir, a horror story of the four sons and daughters of an Irish king who were turned into swans by their evil stepmother. As anyone in Ireland will know full well, the story goes that the siblings were swans for nine centuries and tragically passed away as soon as they became human again.

As we’ve experienced at all Simone Rocha’s previous shows, every piece of design as well as the order of the pieces appearing in the show are all an intrinsic part of the theatre in this ingenious designer’s repertoire; nothing is remotely random or coincidental. When familiar with the background inspiration to the pieces, one quickly spots the swan-like shapes of the dresses and skirts in the oversized volumes and tulle ‘plumes’.

We see white swans, black swans and long-legged grey cygnits in their ‘awkward adolescent’ knitted knicker ensembles. The balaclava – hands down the global head accessory of Fall 2022, looks befittingly like the head of a ‘human bird’ if one knows what you’re looking for! As ever, Simone Rocha’s pearly embroidery around the edges of these head coverings make them into things of extraordinary beauty, not just a utilitarian piece of protection from the cold.

Some of the crinoline ensembles came with a heart-shaped cut-out on the front, which could also – at a push – be perceived as two swans facing each other. Overt and copious embellishments – rubies, crystals, pearls and the like – are present throughout the show (including on the faces of the models) as the Children of Lir were obviously royalty and needed to be treated as such!

The Irish theme continued, as midway through the show Sinead O’Connor’s Nothing Compares To You set the tone for what was a very atmospheric last half of the show. As for shapes, shades and textures, this collection – like its predecessors, didn’t stray far from signature Simone Rocha. The elaborate texture build-up and layering to create the desired silhouette by means of tulle, crinoline and organza were to be seen in most pieces. Black, white, beige, echru with the addition of some pastel green and faded tangerine were the predominant palette and a few splashes of midnight blue and blood red provided accents.

As a complete contrast to the voluminous pieces a few sheath dresses (with a decidedly Twenties feel to them) were semi-transparent and cut close to the body. The over-the-knee sock theme prevailed, often dripping with jewels. Some dresses (most notably so the midnight blue velvet maxi dress) were given the midriff-transparency treatment – a stunning feature we’ve not spotted at Simone Rocha before. Capes or ‘wings’ further bolstered the swan-theme.

Towards the end of the show red squiggles on dresses were being introduced (possibly alluding to the horror of the tale?), the show ending with a dramatic blood red PVC jacket, its parts slashed into what looks like hearts. My guess is that Simone Rocha interpreted the end to this tale of woe in her own fashion … love conquers?

Voluminous layers with pockets adding more bulk, in this cream ensemble

The Black Swan, showcasing ecclesiastical sleeves in the jacket

Pastel green and faded tangerine in this ruched dress

White ‘wings’ in this striking coat

A paired down, close-cut sheath dress

A heart cut out of the crinoline

A transparent panel in this midnight blue dress

Red squiggles on this dress, ‘feathers’ peeking out at the hem

Feathery tulle and crinoline and an embellished balaklava

A knitted knicker and sweater ensemble, beautifully embellished with pearls

This black swan’s bottom half is very shapely indeed!

Blue squiggly embroidery, perhaps depicting water?

A stunning beige coat with its puff sleeves

The balaklava took centre stage in this collection

Satin embellished bags were clutched by models

Pointy, embroidered platform shoes

Models’ faces were encrusted with jewels

A black and beige sheath dress embroidered with pearls

The finale of the collection, featuring a blood red deconstructed PVC biker’s jacket