Dear Shaded Viewers,
Youthful naivety graced the runway at Simone Rocha.
After giving birth to her second daughter, the designer turned her focus towards motherhood and the ceremonial aspect of bringing a new life to the world. From dressing a child in nighties to baptismal gowns to doll-like dresses… the spring summer 22 collection was a beautiful tribute to the bond between the mother and daughter.
“I wanted to blow up those childlike proportions and distort them, mix them with the sleepless nights that come with having a daughter” the designer said in her shownotes.
The reference to the restless nights were hidden in the textiles that were a mesh of bedclothes, eiderdowns and quilts. Though the collection seems playful and innocent at first, the naivety of the doll-like looks were broken down with the statement laced boots, leather jackets, sheer black dresses… presenting a darker and more realistic side of motherhood.
The nursing bra, which was one of the statement pieces of the collection, made its appearance on a white ruffled tulle dress with breasts peeking under the bra cut-outs, an indication for not just nurturing but also for provocation. A doll-like dress with embroideries was styled with a ruby-red leather jacket. At Simone Rocha, the clothes always carry a rebellious twist where the beautiful doesn’t stay innocent for long and the naughty side comes out. But the playfulness was balanced out with the white oversized collars and pearl crowns, offering uniformity amongst the voluminous deconstructed silhouettes.
The accessories on the other hand, show just how much detail and thought is put in each look. Teeth necklaces, floral tattoos, laced-boots, embellished socks in pearls and red slippers… which immediately reminded me of the iconic scene at the end of Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy clicks her ruby sparkling shoes. Who knows, maybe Oz was part of the moodboard, after all there is no place like home.
