For Simone Rocha Spring 2027, the Irish designer returned to the Old Bailey with a collection that felt more concentrated and intimate than usual. With menswear now presented separately, Rocha used the season to focus entirely on womenswear, reducing the elaborate narrative framework that often surrounds her shows and allowing the clothes themselves to carry more of the meaning.
The collection began with an unexpected cultural reference: Caravaggio’s The Taking of Christ, a painting long believed lost before being rediscovered in Dublin in 1990. The idea of finding something extraordinary in an ordinary setting became a useful metaphor for Rocha’s approach. Inside the severity of London’s central criminal court, softness, romance and vulnerability took on a more powerful presence.
Color reflected the Caravaggio influence. Deep red, black and petrol blue appeared across velvet dresses, leather coats and layered separates. Roses became one of the defining motifs of the season, appearing around necklines, across hoods, on skirts and even on more practical pieces such as bomber jackets. Some were rendered delicately in fabric, while others appeared in leather, giving the traditionally romantic flower a tougher edge.
Rocha also continued her fascination with clothing as both shelter and exposure. Sheer dresses, organza slips and cocoon-like constructions concealed and revealed the body at the same time. Taffeta skirts were reinforced with fine metallic wire, allowing their shapes to be pushed and manipulated, while washed-organza boas and sculptural outerwear added another layer of protection.
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The designer’s familiar pink silk returned in softer, more relaxed forms, including lace-trimmed dresses and looks styled with oversized knitwear. Nylon slip dresses also entered the collection, bringing a more practical, contemporary note to Rocha’s established romantic language.
One of the clearest statements, however, came through micro shorts. Seen in rosebud prints, black leather and layered combinations, they emerged as a key silhouette for Spring 2027. Paired with oversized tops, argyle knickers or more structured pieces, they gave the collection a sharper, more youthful edge without losing its femininity.
Throughout the show, the styling remained deliberately imperfect. Dresses slipped from shoulders, fabrics looked handled rather than pristine, and models often held garments or accessories close to their bodies. This sense of intimacy was central to the collection.
Ultimately, Simone Rocha Spring 2027 was less about spectacle and more about emotional detail. By pairing roses with leather, transparency with structure and tenderness with protection, Rocha showed that vulnerability does not weaken femininity – it can be one of its strongest expressions.
