John Rocha to wind up €11.5m design company

The €11.5m dividend will be paid out to the firm’s three shareholders, Basilik Holdings Limited and TMD (IOM) Unlimited and Hatari Express Limited

John Rocha has designed namesake collections for Brown Thomas and Debenhams, but his daughter Simone is already making a name for herself worldwide. Picture: Dave M. Benett/ Getty Images.

One of the country’s best-known designers, John Rocha, looks set to share in a pre-tax €11.5m windfall from his design firm.

This follows Mr Rocha - who celebrates his 70th birthday this coming August - moving to voluntarily wind up his Dublin-based design company, Three Moon Design Unlimited.

'Declaration of Solvency' documents lodged with the Companies Office show that the firm has assets valued at €11.6m and liabilities of €100,429 leaving a net €11.5m to be shared out amongst company shareholders before tax.

The €11.5m dividend will be paid out to the firm’s three shareholders, two Isle of Man-registered firms, Basilik Holdings Limited and TMD (IOM) Unlimited and the Hong Kong-based Hatari Express Limited.

A document confirming the voluntary wind-up of the business declares that the directors have stated that the company will be able to pay off its debts in full.

Paul White has been appointed as liquidator of the Rocha firm. The company's most recent accounts show that the company was sitting on accumulated profits of €16m at the end of 2021. Ahead of the winding up, John Rocha’s wife, Odette stepped down as director last month.

The wind-up of the Rocha design firm comes more than a year after the Rochas sold their four-bedroomed Victorian home at Leeson Park, Ranelagh, Dublin, for just under the asking price of €3.95m. The sale followed the Rochas' decision to make London their permanent base in order to be close to their three children living there.

The Hong Kong-born Mr Rocha moved away from high-end, luxurious women’s clothing in 2014 but continued with lifestyle licensing deals.

Mr Rocha, who first moved to Ireland in 1978 after studying design at Croydon School of Art in the UK, was able to extend his design portfolio through many collaborations, from glass design with Waterford Crystal to residential, leisure and hotel projects throughout the world. 

Mr Rocha’s daughter, Simone has continued the Rocha name in the world of fashion.