Granny cool
Simone Rocha is descended from style. And we’re not just talking about her fashion-designer father John, but her two elderly grandmothers, Margaret and Cecilia. At least, that’s if her AW13 collection is anything to go by.
Said to be a tribute to the two women, Rocha’s recent show was at once wistful, whimsical, fresh and fun. “It’s so nostalgic but I wanted to do it in a young way,” she told Vogue of her fourth seasonal offering. “It has heritage, but I wanted to do it in a way that changes it.”
To achieve this, Rocha split her grannies into two groups: sweet old ladies and raunchy old dames. The former shuffled out in understated frocks and coats in Battenberg hues of baby pink and buttercup.
Skirts in crocheted lace and satin were sweetly gathered at the hip to form demure bustles, while hems, necklines and heel heights were sensible, with just a coy flash of calf.
The latter strutted her stuff in knee-length black patent leather pencil skirts and matching bustiers. Fabric opacity ranged from sheer to starkers and her plastic-textured skirts left little to the imagination.
Mercifully this lady covered her modesty in a big, thick faux fur coat – mercifully not just because no one wants to see granny’s hoo-ha, but because this was a welcome change for Rocha who, despite an extensive experimentation with texture in her short career, has never shown anything quite so warm and wearable.
And while you have to admire a girl with a good sense of practicality, both camps paraded more than enough froufrou to keep the style-over-functioners happy. Think cat-eye spectacles, classic framed handbags and nude gossamer gloves, all topped off with the designer’s trademark birdcage veils and fluffy breast augmentations.
Oh my, grandmother, what furry boobs you have…
Frockd 