Simone Rocha, The Woman I Worship

and my support of the irish uprising

My first introduction to Irish fashion designer Simone Rocha was the iconic pearl egg bag, one of the many “it” bags of 2020. While the practicality of an egg-shaped handbag comes into question, that subject is easy to ignore when you’re entranced by its beauty. Rocha has the admirable ability to synthesize her designs with fantasy and reality, beautifully blending the two to create her unique design philosophy. The pearl bag, which comes in many different variations, lets the viewer or customer wander around the serenity of the ocean while feeling grounded in reality. The first variation of the egg bag debuted in her Spring/Summer 2020 Ready-to-Wear show, seen in both transparent material and synthetic pearl, and has since been recreated in many different variations. From the moment of its conception, this bag has taken contemporary fashion by storm, and how could it not? Even though the bag is way out of my budget, I still scour second-hand retail websites just admiring its beauty. This was my first encounter with Rocha’s designs.

S/S 2020 Ready-to-Wear, styled by Robbie Spencer// Photo by Filippo Fior via gorunway.com

(This collection brought in more masculine and androgynous elements, as the inspiration goes back to her Irish roots, more specifically the Wren Boys. A tradition that goes back to the 20th century, the celebration takes place on December 26th—St. Stephen’s Day— where boys dressed in straw celebrate the hunting of the wren. The Wren Boys were groups of rather punkish boys who celebrated this holiday by going around the neighborhood, singing, dancing, knocking on doors and asking for money. This specific look, while it doesn't hold many Wren motifs, still has a balance of androgyny and femininity. Dramatic, costume-esque earrings fall against the backdrop of a cream dress that is gathered far below the waist, creating a flat yet interesting silhouette. And the creme de la creme, the pearl bag. It hangs beside the model tranquilly, and serves as the centerpiece of the look.)

Ever since, I have felt the compulsive need to keep up with her collections, Instagram feed, and everything about her. She quickly became a favorite designer of mine. The design philosophies are genuinely captivating.

“My whole ethos is the idea of femininity and how that’s integrated into women’s lives, how it makes them feel...With every show you’re telling a story and you want to tell one that women connect with. Even if it’s a story about how men find women hot, women are still at the centre of that.” (Rocha). 

In a world where women are actively encouraged to take a back seat and let men be the leaders, Rocha flips that idea on its head. As she stated, she wants to use femininity, a huge part of women's lives, and empower them with it. Femininity is something to be celebrated, not ashamed of, and through Rocha's ultra-feminine and soft designs contrasted with bold and subversive motifs, she brings feminism to light through the medium of fashion. Rocha, growing up in rural Ireland, has always used elements of nature in her designs. She uses pearls and flowers, in print and 3D form, in many of her collections. In her Fall 2023 RTW collection, she used real hay in some of the designs. Rocha combines stereotypically "fragile" feminine elements and stereotypically strong, or bold elements—like military jackets and BDSM objects—to exemplify her ethos of empowering all aspects of the female experience. She cares to build a world where women are celebrated for being girly and feminine—not vilified—while maintaining their sense of self, strength, and weirdness. Natural elements create a connection between femininity, strength, fragility, abnormality, authenticity, and the Earth itself. The styling of her shows always have an unsettling aspect to them, whether that be through makeup, hair, accessories, the way the clothing is assembled on the body, or the model's persona. Through the underlying feeling of discomfort in her shows, feminine and striking materials and garments, natural elements, and inspirations, Rocha creates a design philosophy all about feminism and empowerment, nature, and authenticity.

A/W 2018 Ready-to-Wear, styled by Robbie Spencer // Photo by Luca Tombolini via indigital.tv

(Flowers, oh flowers. A black mesh covering atop a checkered and plaid dress featuring a Simone staple: voluminous sleeves with both print and 3D flowers all over. My personal favorite part, however, are the shoes: red mules covered in feathers and jewels, texture upon texture creating a start and finish to the proportion of the look. Yet another example of Rocha’s feminist philosophies being shown through the medium of clothing.)

It’s a complicated task. Growing up and being socialized as a girl, I heard that being a “girly girl” was a sign of weakness and submissiveness, but in the same breath, I heard that that’s what I was supposed to be. I was designated a girly girl, by both myself and my peers, and while I’m not necessarily uncomfortable with this label, I am uncomfortable with the loaded definition. It meant that I was weak, yet cute. Frail, yet precious. How confusing. But through Rocha’s designs, I have realized that ultra femininity is both intrinsically powerful and delicate, two characteristics that come together and coexist naturally. 

I greatly appreciate Rocha’s polite rejection of seasonality between fashion shows. She does not design swimsuits in summer and coats in winter; she creates garments for garment's sake, year-round. While this may not be a feasible business strategy for all, it works for her, and it works well. She sticks to her design ethos no matter the time of year, and her pieces are styled by customers according to tonal aesthetics and weather. Introducing her audience and customers to the idea of dismissing seasonal fashion trends helps people to value longevity and quality in their clothing and accessories, as well as developing one’s unique personal style identity.

S/S 2022 Ready-to-Wear, styled by Robbie Spencer // Photo by Daniele Oberrauch via gorunway.com

(One of my favorite looks to go down the runway as of late. The voluminous upper half sees excessive sleeves and collars against beautiful lilac paisley but is modernized with metallic purple flats, adding a futuristic, almost sporty element to balance the look and bring it to the 21st century. Classic, old-fashioned feminine patterns and futuristic elements are brought together to appeal to all generations of women, past, present, and future.)

Simone Rocha holds a special place in my heart. She was one of the first designers to ignite my love for fashion. Her designs are enchanting and the themes present in her shows serve a greater purpose. As someone who just cannot pick a single aesthetic to subscribe to, it is refreshing to see such a strong design identity. Simone knows what she likes and she sticks to it, but she is not afraid to experiment. Her designs are informed by personal beliefs and experiences, yet they are able to relate to the customer individually. So, a big thank you to the pearl bag for introducing me to a designer as wonderful and complex as Simone Rocha.