DREAM WEAVINGS
Simone Rocha makes clothes from silk, wool and tulle that feel as if they could evaporate at any moment in a small puff of smoke. They are girlish confections, constructed from layers of ruffles, fringes, bows and sashes. Like Rei Kawakubo, Rocha can transform conventional garments (trenchcoat, party dress, pantaloons) with unorthodox tailoring, while leaving traces of those original forms intact. Her garments are exquisitely imagined; every collar, cuff and
hem carries an elemental proposition about what a collar,
cuff and hem can be.
A khaki trenchcoat has rouched sleeves with cuffs that morph in bows.
A party dress in heavy white eyelet hangs across the collarbone as if it has been put on sideways.
A ball gown is constructed from a soft voile sack embellished with yellow silk flowers. The clothing’s strong asymmetrical profiles, mismatched fabrics, and elaborate piecing give them a structural audacity that makes their fairytale prettiness all the more remarkable.
While Kawakubo’s garments are charged with aggressive avant garde energy, Rocha’s are tender, sylvan, and sentimental. The young women staffing her New York City shop, who wear the dresses as their uniform, seem less like fashion warriors than artsy teens who read Jane Austen and comic books. Rocha’s clothes don’t need accessories, makeup or jewelry to built a strong look. Each piece carries its own strong image, and shapes its own character. Here is a princess who fell asleep beneath a blanket of wildflowers. Here is a
schoolgirl who packs her satchel and runs away from home. Here is a witch who disguises herself in a magnificent gown to attend the ball. These clothes are like dreams translated directly into fabric.
