BELLS & Whistles

Simone Rocha's magic lies in her layered exploration of femininity & duality. Speaking with Praachi Raniwala from her London studio, the designer unpacks it all

- Praachi Raniwala

Tulle on tulle on tulle. Ribbon corsets on cardigans. Bows on tank tops. Pearl eggs as handbags. Crystals on Crocs. Simone Rocha's sensibility is heavily laced with feminine accoutrements. But these bows aren't mere bells and whistles. Her eponymous label, which turns 15 this year, has been defined by romance, but it's not without a streak of rebellion. Pretty, but also pretty punk. It's beauty with bite. So yes, she'll see your coquette-core. But raise you a 'hardcore.' Her words, not ours.

The Dublin-born, London-based Central Saint Martins graduate has carved out one of the most distinctive voices in British fashion today. Her work integrates themes of identity, the female gaze and subversive beauty, offering a vision of girlhood that's as complex as it is layered, often framed through Victorian and baroque references.

Last January, Rocha collaborated with Jean Paul Gaultier on his couture collection, and a few months later, dropped a capsule line with Crocs. Rocha's world thrives on such dualities, whether in the brands she partners with or in her own mixed Irish-Chinese heritage. There's always a push and pull. And right at the centre of that 'tension,' as she calls it, is where she finds her sweet spot. It's also where her most authentic work lives. In a conversation with ELLE India, the designer lets us into the inner workings of her world.