Simone Rocha

Simone Rocha's pieces are defined by labour-intensive handwork, so much of the cost reflects the embellishment rather than logo. Her work modernises Elizabethan and Victorian silhouettes using traditional components such as pearls, lace, patchwork and handwork alongside pink neoprene. If you love a dress that reads as romantic and crafted, a signature piece tends to feel like a special-occasion keeper rather than a passing buy.

The price sits on top of intricate, hand-finished detail: pearls, lace, patchwork and other traditional handwork built into voluminous, sculptural silhouettes. That kind of construction is slow and difficult to reproduce, which is exactly what enthusiasts are paying for. It is less about branding and more about the craft in each garment.

In March 2021, Rocha collaborated with the Swedish fast-fashion company H&M to create a collection featuring her signature designs across womenswear, menswear and childrenswear. It brought her romantic, embellished aesthetic to a far wider audience at accessible prices. The pieces sold quickly and remain sought-after on the resale market.

Both designers work in romantic, voluminous, feminine silhouettes, which is why shoppers often weigh them against each other. Where they diverge is in Rocha's specific vocabulary of pearls, lace and historical references drawn from her Irish and Chinese heritage. If you want darker, more gothic-romantic detailing, Rocha is usually the pull; for airier, dreamier shapes, many cross-shop Bahnsen.

Her work modernises Elizabethan and Victorian silhouettes, using traditional components such as pearls, lace, patchwork and handwork alongside pink neoprene. She has also woven in influences from her Irish and Chinese heritage. That mix of historical romance and contemporary edge is what makes a piece instantly recognisable as hers.

Simone Rocha is an Irish fashion designer, born in Dublin on 11 September 1986. Her father is the fashion designer John Rocha, and she worked in his studio between the ages of 13 and 18 before training as a designer in her own right. Fashion, as she has put it, was always a part of her life.

Rocha trained at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, then completed her MA at Central Saint Martins in London, where she studied under Louise Wilson. She showed her graduate collection at the Tate Modern and at London Fashion Week in 2010. That debut launched her career almost immediately.

Rocha was named Young Designer of the Year in 2014 by Harper's Bazaar and won British Womenswear Designer of the Year at the British Fashion Awards. She has collected several other honours across her career, including early recognition for emerging talent. The accolades reflect how quickly the industry embraced her singular vision.

Yes, widely. She worked with Moncler on its Genius series in 2018, with H&M in 2021, and with Crocs for her Fall/Winter 2024 show. In January 2024 she was also invited as guest designer to present a Haute Couture collection for Jean Paul Gaultier. Each project translates her romantic aesthetic into a new context.

Among her notable moments, Rocha designed the Met Gala look for Billie Eilish in 2023. Her romantic, embellished pieces have a natural pull for red-carpet styling. That visibility has helped carry her name beyond the runway.

After her 2010 debut, Rocha was stocked at Dover Street Market and the Paris boutique Colette, and in August 2015 she opened her first standalone store on London's Mount Street. She has since opened stores in New York, London and Taiwan. Buying through her own boutiques or established stockists is the surest route to genuine pieces.

Because her dresses carry pearls, lace and delicate handwork, treat them gently: always follow the garment's own care label and avoid anything that could snag the embellishment. For the most intricate pieces, a specialist dry cleaner is usually the safest choice. Stored flat or padded on a hanger, a piece like this holds its shape for years.