Special designer collaboration arrives: Simone Rocha X H&M
Simone Rocha is the first Irish designer to engage with H&M in such a partnership. Like all her work, this collection celebrates her personal inter-ethnic heritage and the myriad inspirations that have shaped her label’s development, from the customs and crafts of Hong Kong to the great history of art.
History and heritage. Fabrications and descriptions. Family and Society. The multiple facets of femininity. The work and collections of fashion designer Simone Rocha, born in Dublin in 1986, are a tribute to what she holds dear. As part of the talent hub Fashion East, she started her career, where her take on modern beauty won acclaim as she reclaimed ‘girlish’ elements, florals, embellishments, necklaces, and pearls. Rocha spent time reflecting on and revisiting the archive of her company in designing the collection for H&M, merging her past collections and carefully reworking favorite items into surprising new concepts that for now feels right.
The collection takes into account the many silhouettes, fabrications, shapes of embellishment, and influences that have shaped the world of the designer, offering fresh signature twists and paying tribute to main collections that have defined the brand tale of Simone Rocha. We see glimmers of Tudor courtiers, of wild florals, of dolls and playthings, of portraits and photos.
“To be honest, it was really emotional going through all the pieces — it was a wonderful chance to reflect on seasons I was especially proud of, and to revisit collections that felt like milestones, and little gems of ideas that we maybe didn’t push as far as we wanted to the first-time round. The archive is so important to the way I work as a designer anyway. We are not a brand that abandons ideas each season — we often look back on past propositions or continue to evolve a silhouette or shape,” says Rocha.
The collection will include Rocha’s signature womenswear, alongside menswear and childrenswear. This marks the first time that Rocha has offered a wardrobe for the entire family. Each category combines a full wardrobe; special occasionwear, including tulle dresses and tailoring, alongside knits, shirting, outerwear such as trenches, casual t-shirts, accessories, including Rocha’s signature sparkling jewelry and pearl-embellished footwear.
Photos: H&M