Simone Rocha x Jean Paul Gaultier: A Coquette historical fantasy

Creative rotation is the motto of Haute Couture for Jean Paul Gaultier this past year. After the hyptonic Chitose Abe (Sacai), the  revolutionary Glenn Marten (Y/Project and Diesel), the excessive Olivier Rousteing (Balmain), the seductive Haider Ackerman and the historic Julien Dossena (Paco Rabanne); it is time for a new designer to step onto the heritage of the fashion brand.

Simone Rocha is the lucky woman who is in charge to show her world for SS24. Graduated in 2010 from Central Saint Martins, she is infusing his personal references with couture techniques and silhouettes, keeping Jean Paul Gaultier’s heritage as the center point of the collection. 

Over 36 looks, the Irish designer created pieces around femininity and provocativeness. All her imaginary was reflected in the color palette selected (pale colors in contrast with black and red), the used of ribbons and lace, some historical elements and mesmerizing silhouettes from original couturiers.

She juxtaposed the tattooed world of JPG SS94 with delicate materials and infused a lot of sailors references into a bunch of designs, while keeping the collection cohesive. The most used silhouette was Robe de Style, which is characterized by its dropped waist and wide skirts designed to resemble court dresses of the 18th century.

Some underlying obsessions were added to the mix through breasts looking like horn or using lingerie as a statement piece for its own. One of my favorite moments was the use of padded underpants that added an extra weird feeling to various looks. Hair was a little bit on the classical side, while makeup includes rhinestones in the eyes of the models and natural face. 

Simone Rocha is being subversive with her own personal codes: settling coquette as the main trend on the market and trying to show what a woman can do to differentiate in Haute Couture.

Words: @alraco43