SIMONE ROCHA

S/S 2020

On September 2019 in London, Simone Rocha's Spring Summer 2020 collection showed in a Victorian theatre originally opened in 1875 and recently reopened and restored in Alexandra Palace, with the original faded walls and high ceilings. In very Simone style, the ambient of the space was very whimsical with a period romance feel to it. The collection’s starting point is Ireland and the Irish Wren Boys who traditionally would hunt the Wren on St Stephen’s day. They would go to people’s houses and knock on doors to sing to ask for money. The grand old houses of Ireland now in faded repairs. With peeling wallpaper prints and dusty blues, broken plates and crockery drummed like tin cans.

There were organzas are embroidered with Broderie Anglaise daisies and Mulberry berries. Tailoring is introduced through embroidered lace taffetas and technical trench cloths. Pieces that are deconstructed, with dresses balancing masculinity and femininity. Layered like feathers, like feathers of a Wren. The fairy wren with its blue and white tail. Silk brocade suits woven like fine upholsterers and feathery light Cloqués. Dress coats and dropped frill suits, a uniformity of frills.

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Show producers, Karla Otto, reached out to a creative studio I was creative producer for at the time in London, Satore, to implement lighting design for the show.

Our brief entailed lighting design that would emphasise the semi circular space, removing the traditional idea of a runway path, illuminating the entire platform, the lighting was embraced by the subtle and femininity of the collection. The theatre served as a set that allowed us to concentrate on its middle stage, creating a very classic mood of light defined by the theme of the show.