Simona Rocha has been a hot topic of discussion this week in the fashion world. The Irish designer’s growing viral nature follows her new back-to-back announcements: the first, seen at London Fashion Week, is a surprise collaboration with Crocs — where Rocha trimmed the brand’s black, white and pink clogs and closure-tied shoes with floral crystals and gleaming pearls. The second is further elevating Rocha’s fashion design legacy: she will be the next guest designer for Jean Paul Gaultier couture, her debut set for Haute Couture Week in January 2024.
Rocha is following in the footsteps of previous Gaultier guest designers Julien Dossena, Haider Ackermann, Olivier Rousteing, Glenn Martens and Chitose Abe, marking her as one of the few designers in fashion tapped for the ongoing project. In light of the news, we’re looking back at a range of her most viral moments for her own romance-focused brand over the years, including her 2021 H&M collection, red-carpet appearances and more.
In 2016, Rocha appeared on the red carpet at the British Fashion Awards, where she won the ceremony’s Womenswear Designer of the Year Award — just six years after graduating from The National College of Art and Design. For the occasion, the designer cradled her trophy while wearing her own brand’s silky white blouse and rounded sheer skirt, boosted with silky black platform pumps.
In 2021, Rocha launched a co-branded collection with H&M under its longtime designer collaborations project. The occasion found the designer revamping her brand signatures — beadwork, bows and a range of pink, white, red and black tones — into a variety of dresses, outerwear and separates for the fast fashion retailer. On the shoe front, the collaboration also included pearl-trimmed brogues and silky red flats lined with fuzzy faux fur.
For the 2023 Met Gala, which celebrated the legacy of the late Karl Lagerfeld, Rocha draped Billie Eilish in a sheer black floral lace dress. The high-necked piece, made with up-cycled fabrics, featured a corseted construction elevated by matching flower-beaded gloves — plus a set of thick black platform heels — for a dark statement on the red carpet.
Rocha’s most recent bold moment came courtesy of her spring 2024 fashion show’s shoes, seen during London Fashion Week: a surprise Crocs collaboration. For the occasion, Rocha put her own twist on the FNAA-winning brand’s comfort-focused clogs, clog heels and drawstring shoes with gleaming crystal and pearl embellishments. The pairs featured hues leaning into Rocha’s signature brand colors, including black, white and pale pink, for a romantic statement.
About the Author:
Aaron Royce is the Digital Editor for Footwear News, where he writes stories on trending news, celebrity style, collaborations and in-depth profile interviews. Prior to joining Footwear News, Aaron wrote and interned for publications including PAPER, Grazia and the Daily Front Row. He currently holds a B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University.
