Katie Wright, PA Fashion and Beauty Editor
17 September, 2023 18:24
Simone Rocha has become the latest high-profile fashion designer to partner with divisive footwear brand Crocs.
The Irish designer unveiled a range of Crocs at her spring/summer catwalk show at London Fashion Week, held at the home of the English National Ballet on the Leamouth Peninsula.
Following in the footsteps of Spanish label Balenciaga and Scottish designer Christopher Kane, Dublin-born Rocha upgraded the traditional backless clog by adding chunky pearls and crystals.
Sporty lace-up styles in black and pink were decorated with silver and floral embellishments.
Fresh footwear aside, Rocha – who graduated from esteemed Central Saint Martins college in 2010 – returned to two familiar themes for SS24: bows and bouquets.
There were thin blue satin bows strewn over voluminous dresses and oversized bows adorning black and silver evening gowns.
They just kept getting bigger – a red satin one-shoulder top looked like a giant bow wrapped around the model and was teamed with a matching mini skirt.
Utility-style jackets in white, pale pink and khaki were decorated with fabric corsages.
A series of black and nude tulle dresses came with long pockets, with a pink rose (stem and all) inserted into each one, and some models had fake rose tattoos on their shins and faces.
Photos of an elaborate two-tiered white cake posted on the brand’s Instagram account before the show hinted at what else was to come.
Sure enough, there were a variety of full-skirted white and mint green dresses with rows of ruffled lace-like icing on a cake.
Displaying her usual mix of hard and soft elements, there were flashes of silver leather trousers, biker jackets, and lots of slouchy tailoring alongside the parade of frilly frocks.
Rocha’s glamorous garments have previously been worn by celebrities including Rihanna, Julianne Moore and Saoirse Ronan.
At last week’s star-studded Vogue World event that kicked off London Fashion Week, the designer dressed actors Bel Powley, Douglas Booth and Cole Sprouse.
