SIMONE ROCHA IS H&M’S NEXT MAJOR DESIGNER COLLABORATION

by Stephen Garner

Continuing a long tradition of acclaimed designer collaborations, H&M has announced a new collaboration with the London-based fashion designer Simone Rocha.

The Simone Rocha x H&M collection will include Rocha’s signature womenswear, alongside menswear and childrenswear. This marks the first time that Rocha has offered a wardrobe for the entire family. Each category includes a full wardrobe; special occasionwear, including tulle dresses and tailored separates; knitwear; shirting; outerwear such as trenches, casual t-shirts’ and accessories, including Rocha’s signature sparkling jewelry and pearl-embellished footwear.

Rocha is the first Irish designer to undertake a collaboration with H&M. This collection, like all of her work, celebrates her personal multicultural heritage and the myriad inspirations which have defined the growth of her label, from the traditions and crafts of Hong Kong through to the greats of art history.

The Simone Rocha x H&M collection considers the many silhouettes, fabrications, embellishments shapes, and influences that have defined the Simone Rocha world, offering new twists on signatures and paying homage to key collections that have defined the Simone Rocha brand story. We see glimmers of Tudor courtiers, wild florals, portraits and photographs, dolls and trinkets. There is tartan, beading, florals, pinks, reds, and bespoke fabrications, developed in house, exclusively for this collaboration. In forming this collection, Rocha spent time reflecting on her brand’s archives, combing her past collections, and carefully reworking favorites into dynamic new styles that feel right for today.

The collection, which will be launched on March 11th, also celebrates a decade of the Simone Rocha label – a great achievement for an independent London-based brand. Rocha’s label is acclaimed for the strength of its vision – and a consistency that runs throughout each new garment, allowing wearers of the brand to mix and match pieces across seasons. This collection is informed with a similar desire to create hard-working pieces to be loved, cherished, and worn again and again. It is an invitation into the Simone Rocha world, and extended to all.

“I am so thrilled to be working with H&M on this very special collection,” said Rocha. “It truly is a celebration of the signatures of my brand, and the influences that have shaped me. As a designer, and as a customer, I’ve been such a fan of the H&M collaboration concept. Margiela, Alber Elbaz, Comme des Garcons – it’s such an amazing list of alumni to be a part of.”

“Simone Rocha has been on the H&M wish-list for some time,” added Ann-Sofie Johansson, creative advisor at H&M. “This collaboration offers a new audience the chance to own a very special piece of design history. All of us at H&M have been so inspired to work with a female designer who spends so much time thinking about contemporary femininity, and womanhood, and who is so committed to excellence in craft and design, from the process of developing special fabrications, to pushing silhouettes, shapes, and embellishments. Every garment within this collection is unique, special and the result of years of work and meticulous research.”