How Simone Rocha is putting Irish Style and Culture on a Global Fashion Scale

By Josh Hawkins

After the biggest week in high fashion comes to an end, Haute Couture Week 2024 has had some remarkable and iconic moments. From Maison Margeila’s high drama runway, decorated with Pat McGrath's viral glass skin makeup, to Chanel’s latest revival of the classic women’s suit; one collection made global headlines from an Irish designer named Simone Rocha, who was Jean Paul Gautier’s latest guest designer. 

Born in 1986, Rocha graduated from NCAD in 2008 with a BA in Fashion, followed by her master's in Central Saint Martins, the university that birthed some of the biggest names in fashion such as John Galliano and Alexander McQueen. 

Rocha used notable emblems from Jean Paul Gautier’s archival designs such as the cone bra and tattoo print in her inspiration behind this collection. Simone Rocha uses soft femininity inspiration in the creation of her own personal line of designs and chose to mix Gautier’s “more provocative and sensual side of femininity, in the creation of this collection,” she told Harpers Bazaar.

One of the most apparent elements in this collection is her obscured use of corsetry and shape. Her debut in Paris Haute Couture week saw the historic hyper femme constricting garment in a newly created way, adorned with muted pastels and ribbons. In look 11, we see a relaxed corsetry detailing down the side of the gown with loosely woven ribbon, leading the viewer to think of Rocha’s reclamation of the compressing garment in a newly defined way, celebrating women’s bodies

and using historical corsetry to embellish the dress instead of compressing the body. 

Simone Rocha takes a lot of her inspiration from being Irish. She told Gloss that a number of her collections are inspired by Irish folklore such as the Children of Lir and Lughnasa and their impact on textiles. “Being Irish, it just feels very natural to look to home”. Rocha has affirmed herself as one of the leading faces in fashion in the 21st century, and with her inherent Irish influence in her designs, this is a massive achievement for Irish creatives.