Simone Rocha’s Fall Collection Is Romantic Dressing At Its Finest

Bows have been everywhere for the past several seasons: on hair fixtures, puffer jackets, earrings, you name it. This could be called the Simone Rocha effect. The Irish designer has carved out a specialty in delivering unapologetically girlish outfits that prove you can dress terrifically feminine and still be a category 5 force to be reckoned with. Her Fall/Winter 2024 collection at London Fashion Week was, to the surprise of no one, no exception.

The Central Saint Martins alum has a knack for recalling the sense of surfacing from a dream: There are gauzy details just out of reach, while other elements remain firmly in grasp. And like dreams, or fantasies rather — a little sexy, a little mysterious — her latest collection was steeped in the coquette style she’s become known for, while also demonstrating her skill in sportswear and, notably, accessories. What perhaps Rocha does best, as illustrated in current and past collections, is borrow from historical shapes and references, while placing looks firmly in the present. For the Fall 2024 collection, it felt like Wilkie Collins’ Woman in White teased from beyond the page. Indeed, many models cradled stuffed animals as if they couldn’t bear to part with their beloved toys after waking from a confusing slumber.

But onto the clothes. True to form, Rocha added her magic touch to otherwise classic silhouettes and styles, turning them into confection-like creations. There was the puff-sleeved, calf-length dress in sheer white fabric, bedecked with glittery appliqués at the neck and bust, while lacing wove up the bodice, assisting in the overall heritage-inspired tone. A sculptural coat frock in whisper pink was chiseled into shape with cream lacing. Capes of several varieties also floated down the runway: The most noteworthy being a see-through blush pink rendition that featured a gathered high neck and was worn over another cape, this time in spearmint.

Frothy dresses and flowy blouses were punctuated by masterful corsetry, cut to accentuate shape, constriction, and fluidity. A blush polo layered underneath a corset was matched with a petal-weight skirt that fell just below the knee. Things really ramped up when another polo, this time in a warm grey, was paired with an industrial nude corset-inspired skirt that boasted silvery flowers, with menswear-inspired brogues completing the look.

Rocha’s sugary sweet menagerie cascaded into her examination of sportswear. A puffer-inspired frock featured a triumph of a bow on the shoulder. Further, an anorak was constructed of a filmy white fabric, which helped call out the details of the look: the drawcord collar, the bouncing hood, the Mary-Jane ballet flats. In other collections, this look could have served as a transitional outfit to mark the progression into the next phase of the show. Here, instead, it felt like a lesson in how thoughtful styling of well-constructed garments can nail a look that will appeal to eager shoppers.

Further, Rocha seems to understand that her girls need to get around (whether it be in a lucid dream or subway station). Love them or hate them, Rocha continued her partnership with Crocs for the season. The platform slip-ons, which also featured the jewel appliqués, rooted looks that would have threatened to take flight, should they have not been matched with pragmatic footwear, bags, and accessories. Blessedly, knit hoods and bonnets in ballet pink, red, and black served as a chic solve for especially blustery fall weather. And slouchy, single-strap bags, big enough to carry a battered copy of Pride and Prejudice, were aplenty.

While practical footwear and bags tethered the looks to the everyday, the beauty and jewelry propelled the collection into the future. A progression from the beauty in Rocha’s recent Jean Paul Gaultier couture collection, models donned jewel-like eyebrow treatments. Those previously mentioned bonnets touted bedazzled ear cuffs, which models also wore without the hoods. Further, drop earrings of bows tumbled onto models’ shoulders. While rosettes were fewer this collection, it was clear that Rocha’s vision has blossomed.

Below, check out the highlights from Simone Rocha’s Fall 2024 collection.