Simone Rocha returned to London’s historic Old Bailey for a collection inspired by Caravaggio’s long-lost masterpiece The Taking of Christ and her desire to revisit familiar silhouettes with fresh eyes. Slip dresses, baby-doll dresses, ball gowns and bomber jackets were reimagined through Rocha’s distinctive romantic lens.
The show also marked her return to presenting womenswear exclusively on the runway after showing her men’s collection at Pitti Uomo in June. With the focus entirely on womenswear, Rocha approached the collection as a personal exploration of femininity and self-expression.
She manipulated fabrics through unexpected combinations and treatments, mixing gabardine with tulle for long coats, layering delicate dresses over knitted argyle underpants and transforming strips of washed organza into feather-like boas. The collection drew heavily from Caravaggio’s dramatic chiaroscuro palette, with rich reds, black and petrol blue dominating the looks.
The painting’s extraordinary history also shaped Rocha’s approach. Long believed to be lost, The Taking of Christ was rediscovered in 1990 in the dining room of a Jesuit community house in Dublin, where it had been mistaken for a replica. It is now housed at the National Gallery of Ireland.
Inspired by the painting’s rediscovery, Rocha explored the idea of seeing familiar things differently, instinctively combining pieces in unexpected ways. A lavender men’s dress shirt was layered over a black-and-coffee ball-gown skirt, creating a striking dialogue between traditionally masculine and feminine elements.
That spirit of exchange continued throughout the collection. An oversized gray sweater was decorated with delicate white shells, while a sheer shift dress with a 1930s-inspired shape was softened with intricate embroidery. Lush rosettes brought texture and sensuality to simple white blouses, baby-doll dresses and the collars of silky bomber jackets and leather coats.
Ultimately, Rocha’s message was simple: look, then look again. Familiar classics can take on an entirely new character when they are reframed through a different perspective.
