Ireland's Simone Rocha rocks London Fashion Week with show inspired by 17th century painting
The Old Bailey was the venue for Irish designer Simone Rocha's show on Sunday during London Fashion Week. Picture: Ian West/PA
Simone Rocha brought the realities of women’s everyday lives into conversation with the pomp and ceremony of 17th-century art in her latest show at the Old Bailey during the spring/summer 2027 edition of London Fashion Week.
Among the things preoccupying Rocha this season was Caravaggio’s 17th century masterpiece , which was famously misidentified and later discovered in Dublin, hanging in a dining room of the Leeson St Jesuit Community in 1990.
The Italian Baroque painting, which was once considered lost, now resides on indefinite loan at the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin.
Rocha found herself enamoured by the intimacy of the painting, seeking to impart her latest outing with a similar sense of beauty and purity while grounding the collection in reality.
The show opened with a cocoon chore coat in navy cotton gabardine, with floral beading layered over a dropped fishtail dress in black silk organza embroidered with washed silk organza feathers.
Rocha explained backstage: “Sometimes I can be very layered and I place clothes on top of clothes — it’s a protective thing. I wanted this to be more vulnerable, whether that’s exposing the skin or undergarments, or exposing a tailored trouser under a dress.”
The Irish designer sent out satin negligee dresses peeling away from the body, harness bralettes, and padded briefs, alongside crisp paper taffeta dresses that floated on the body.
“I wanted everyone to be touched by these confrontations, like the paper dresses that you might want to reach out and touch. Everything’s a bit more personal,” she said.
Rocha imbued humble garments with the splendour of 17th century art. Familiar cotton gabardine workman and Harrington jackets were represented in operatic volumes, beaded or embroidered with petals, and leather jackets feature dropped necklines wreathed with leather roses.
She applied a painterly sensibility to colour too: An Old Master blue velvet mini dress embroidered with roses, a wingtip cotton shirt in lavender, and flashes of blood red sequins.
Rocha was the first Irish designer to take to the runway yesterday. That evening, McQueen returned to London Fashion Week for the first time in 10 years. Creative director Seán McGirr, from Dublin, is tasked with repositioning the brand following years of losses.
McGirr brings new energy to the runway and balances the signatures of the house: Savile Row tailoring and gothic femininity.
The Irish designer paid homage to the founding designer by enlisting his earliest and closest collaborators: The jeweller and sculptor Shaun Leane, who create ornate accessories for the show, which contributed to its strength and sexuality.
Other Irish brands on the calendar included Paul Costelloe, now designed by the late designer’s son William Costelloe, and Banshee of Savile Row. Founded in 2019 by Ruby Slevin, Banshee of Savile Row is a bespoke tailoring house on Savile Row dedicated exclusively to women.
It staged an intimate presentation in the Victorian tavern of the Princess Louise in Holborn, with a live violin performance. A “witchy, rebel spirit” permeated the collection featuring structured tuxedos reimagined in double-breasted denim and bold stripe; Linton tweed opera coats and Harris tweed coats with velvet top collars, cut through with ruffled shirts and pussy-bow silk blouses.
London Fashion Week commenced on Thursday and brings together the best of British and international talent across five days of shows and presentations.
It has been a significant year for some of British fashion’s biggest names as turnaround strategies at both Mulberry and Burberry are beginning to produce meaningful results.
Mulberry is targeting annual revenue of more than £200m (€233.2m) in the medium term.
It returned to the runway for the first time in eight years with a vision shaped by Christopher Kane.
Elsewhere, highlights included Richard Quinn’s voluminous proportions; Roksanda’s artful inclinations; and Emilia Wickstead’s propensity for colour, print, and elegant silhouettes — the latter of which was presented as a short film during a breezy afternoon cocktail event in her Sloane St boutique.
The comeback of the British high street unfolded on the official calendar. M&S celebrated its centenary with a catwalk presentation on Friday; Swedish retailer H&M hosted a cinematic runway directed by photographer Nick Knight, which was momentarily disrupted by PETA protesters. Topshop and Topman hosted a glitzy party to mark its comeback.
London, the city that launched the careers of Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, and Vivienne Westwood, is renowned as an incubator for emerging talent.
This season, excitement mounted around young designer Pauline Dujancourt. Dujancourt’s wispy dresses, hand-crocheted with blooms, elicited feminine charm.
London Fashion Week concludes on Monday night with Burberry, which reported adjusted operating profit of £160m in the year to March 2026, up from £26m the previous year.
CONNECT WITH US TODAY
Be the first to know the latest news and updates
