By Sara Fabek Zovko
Courtesy of Simone Rocha (photography by Ben Broomfield)
The designer presented the closing instalment of her fashion triptych.
Simone Rocha presented the final instalment in her collection trilogy on the second day of London Fashion Week, one that began with last season’s “Dress Rehearsal”. Taking the opportunity to create runways that portrayed stages of life, including “The Procession” her couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier, Rocha took this opportunity to present “The Wake”.
Inspired by Queen Victoria’s notorious mourning attire, the collection was created in predominantly dark colours, with contrasts of whites, pale blues and even a look in red. Consistent with the recognisable beauty of her pieces, Rocha did an excellent job bringing forth a presence of darkness without it overwhelming the designs themselves. With variations in silhouettes, ranging from elegant A-line to sharp shoulder pads and classic Victorian-era structure with a modern twist, Rocha seemingly portrayed the passage of life and time within this runway. Black gowns with multiple structures tied the variations of her previous collections together beautifully to create the exact undertone of mourning she’d hoped for.
Courtesy of Simone Rocha (photography by Ben Broomfield)
Key aspects of the collection pieces also included shimmering embellishments that worked to build upon her collaboration with Gaultier for Couture Fashion Week. Accessorised with stuffed toy lambs and elevated with pelts of faux fur and the use of crystals throughout the collection, the runway served as the perfect closure for the design saga.