RADICAL VISIBILITY
THE PACKAGE CONTAINING MY NEW TIARA ARRIVES on my doorstep in late June. The logotype on the box is the company’s original, a simple black typewriter serif set near the bottom edge against a white background. It spells out the eponym: Simone Rocha. The font’s playful minimalism betrays the garish glamour of the accessory itself.
Encrusted with crystal persimmon beads tethered to silver-tone hardware and topped with transparent daisy-esque blooms, my headband is on the simpler side of Rocha’s offerings. Beaded embellishments are a brand staple, featured prominently in her Fall 2019 collection as earrings and barrettes, as well as detailing on sandals, purses, collars, and bustiers. Daughter to Hong Kong-born designer John Rocha, the magazine. Nabbing the British Fashion Award for emerging talent in 2013, followed by the British Womenswear Designer Award at the Fashion Awards in 2016, Rocha has since garnered a significant wholesale presence; opening standalone boutiques in London, New York, and Hong Kong, and establishing a cult following for an instantly recognizable aesthetic built on offbeat dichotomies. Rebellious and romantic, feminine and funereal—Rocha might be the TikTok e-girl to Yeezy’s Facetuned hypebeast.
