‘A layer of defiance’: Simone Rocha on how her ultra-feminine styles won over women - and men

The designer, whose show was a highlight of London fashion week, talks bows, Paul Mescal and how dressing like a trad wife isn’t always about conforming. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more.

London fashion week took place this weekend, with established brands and new talent on the schedule. But, when it comes to independent labels, the hot ticket among young fashion editors, art world mavens and film stars is the Irish-born designer Simone Rocha.

Her show on Sunday afternoon took place in the grand environs of Goldsmiths’ Hall, a Grade I-listed building that serves as the headquarters of London’s goldsmith guild. The front row was packed with editors from Elle and Vogue, and Rocha flexed her connections to celebrities. Rather than having them watching on, Alexa Chung and actors Fiona Shaw, Andrea Riseborough and Bel Powley walked in the show.

Part of Rocha’s might is down to that enviable quality in fashion: a unique and identifiable aesthetic – one made of girlie sweetness (bows, frills, lace) – and the seriousness of thoughtful references. That was the case here too, with her signature styles out to play. The clothes were a mix of tailoring, evening wear and … the rest, from Rocha’s take on a rugby shirt to a football scarf. Partly inspired by the fable The Tortoise and the Hare, models carried cuddly toys.

Founded in 2010, Rocha’s label, which now includes menswear as well as womenswear, has attracted a fanbase that is intense in its ardour – members include the artist Laila Gohar, the dancer Francesca Hayward and the playwright Jeremy O. Harris. Mandy Lee, a fashion analyst who runs the Old Loser in Brooklyn account on TikTok, describes herself as obsessed with the brand and wore the designer for her recent wedding. In a 2023 profile of Rocha in GQ, writer Murray Clark describes the designer’s studio as “so Simone Rocha”, implying that fans would be able to conjure up exactly what that means.

Rocha, 38, is based in east London but she grew up in Dublin, the daughter of the designer John Rocha, who was a stalwart of London fashion during the 1980s and 90s, and Odette Rocha, who worked in the business. Simone says her father’s studio was formative “I was always very, very happy there”.

As the daughter of a famous designer, did her peers judge her as she begun to make her own way in fashion? The label of ‘nepo baby’ is now ingrained in pop culture, aimed at everyone from Kendall Jenner to Romeo Beckham. “Once you’re in fashion everyone is up for criticism,” Rocha says simply.

If the clothes are expensive – there’s very little on the website under £200 – Rocha’s influence has rippled out to more accessible trends. Those bows that formed the cornerstone of last year’s coquette aesthetic, which can now be found everywhere from Claire’s to Zara, can be traced back to her. In fact, Rocha wore a bow in her hair at the show, as well as on the day we spoke a few weeks beforehand. She describes it as “part of my signature”, but is happy the detail has made its way beyond high fashion. “Oh, it’s fantastic,” she says. “I love that the aesthetic of being feminine or flirtatious or playful can still feel grounded in reality.”.

With women’s reproductive rights curtailed in the US, and the burgeoning of movements such as “trad wife”, which celebrates traditional gender roles, have her symbols of overt femininity become a kind of rebellion? “Absolutely,” says Rocha. “I see [them] as a layer of protection and a layer of defiance.”.

Rocha’s clothes are sold in high-end stores such as Dover Street Market and Selfridges, and worn by actors on the red carpet – as well as fashion lovers with events to dress for. Anora’s Mikey Madison wore a red satin halter-neck gown to the London Critics’ Circle awards, while Harris chose a rose-decorated transparent coat from the brand for the premiere of Wicked. The dress worn by Shaw on Sunday, with ruffles at the knee and neck, is sure to find its way into artistic wardrobes next season.

The company’s turnover has seen double digit growth over the past five years, and there are now flagship stores in London, New York and Taipei. Menswear, which launched in 2023, is a big part of this, with sales doubling in two years. The success of the menswear is proof that there is demand for designs subverting established ideas of what a man “should” wear. In Rocha’s world, men are just as likely as women to wear pearls, rose prints or pink – as was evident at her show. “I think people feel powerful dressing today by being themselves,” she argues, “and now there’s much more of a licence to dress in a way that you want to.”.

Sign up to Fashion Statement. Style, with substance: what's really trending this week, a roundup of the best fashion journalism and your wardrobe dilemmas solved. after newsletter promotion. Paul Mescal is an apt poster boy for this new take on masculinity: he has consistently worn Rocha on the red carpet and for television performances. There was an embroidered suit worn with a mullet at the SAG awards in 2023, and a top decorated with roses for a recent TV appearance. Members of the Dublin band Fontaines DC have also worn her clothes. “It’s incredible for me to be able to dress someone who is so talented in their own field,” she says.