Rocha in a rush

Simone Rocha’s debut at London Fashion Week was a sure-fire winner. One of the 21 MA graduates of Central Saint Martins, Rocha, said her collection was inspired by Perry Ogden’s collection of images of pony kids at Smithfield Market’s horse fair and the Aran Islands. Her monochrome collection of dresses and separates with linear panels of opaque and see-through fabrics had a contemporary, hard-edged elegance that marks her out as a talent to watch.

“It’s all about romance, with a bit of grit,” she said afterwards. A seasoned presence at her father John’s shows in London and Paris since the age of 12, the 23-year-old designer has inherited his love of handcraft, interest in fine art, music and design not to speak of a strong entrepreneurial streak.

Her NCAD graduate collection, “Les Corps”, was inspired by Louise Bourgeois, and a season spent working as an intern with Marc Jacobs in New York sharpened up her experience. For her MA show, she also designed the stacked black leather mules that took their cue from horses’ hooves and the airy red headdresses that referenced Aran Island petticoats. Next? Rocha wants to stay in London and open her own shop.