Fashion
September 21st, 2026
Author
Adelaide Guerisoli

The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision

The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision

After a formidable appearance as Guest Designer at Pitti Uomo, Simone Rocha returned to London Fashion Week with renewed romantic inventiveness. This time, the Irish designer was able to focus on womenswear, and to do so she chose to draw inspiration from one of the most renowned Italian artists of all time: Caravaggio. More specifically, she was influenced by the chromatic depth of the Taking of Christ, a 1602 work housed at the National Gallery of Ireland in Dublin. 

Metallic silver, teal, red and midnight blue coloured a collection of original three-dimensionality, made up of ruffles, tulle boas, embroidery and exaggerated volumes. The babydoll dress and the slip dress, icons of the feminine wardrobe and perennial focal points of Rocha's sartorial research, were imbued with a pronounced sensuality through the addition of strategic sheer panels, deep round necklines, as well as accessories and items in glossy leather.   

The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633227
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633226
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633225
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633224
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633223
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633222
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633221
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633220
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633219
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633218
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633228
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633187
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633213
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633209
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633210
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633211
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633212
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633217
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633216
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633215
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633214

After years of bows and Botticellian pearls, Rocha's young women have finally abandoned traditional elegance to surrender to a distinctly dark, romantic, all-encompassingly hyperfeminine aesthetic. While hints of a darker mood had already appeared in Simone Rocha's recent collections, with the occasional addition of studs and gothic references, this SS27 represents the full maturation of the brand's new vision. Yet the adorable details that fans of the label have always cherished are certainly not absent — think the soft, oversized roses adorning the necklines of blue velvet mini dresses, or satin bows transformed into clutch bags. 

The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633208
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633206
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633205
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633200
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633195
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633196
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633197
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633198
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633199
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633204
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633203
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633202
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633201
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633191
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633207
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633186
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633190
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633192
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633188
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633189
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633194
The baroque and the surreal intertwine at Simone Rocha SS27 Drawing inspiration from Caravaggio, the Irish designer returns to London to assert a new hyperfeminine vision | Image 633193

While some looks reference Simone Rocha cult pieces — such as realistic roses tucked beneath flesh-toned tights or black windbreakers covered in rhinestones and sequins — others introduce several new styling directions for the brand, including the refined layering of shirts and oversized skirts, as well as the addition of micro biker shorts. In this perfect balance between drama and practicality, between outerwear perfectly suited to rainy Northern European days and surreal gowns made to be worn at an exclusive gala in a baroque estate à la Saltburn, Simone Rocha has yet to stop making us fall in love with her poetic vision. 

What to read next