H&M reveals Simone Rocha collaboration, will launch in March

By

Sandra Halliday

Published
Jan 14, 2021

The pandemic has interrupted the usually packed schedule of retailer-designer collaborations, but some have still been happening and one of the biggest retailer names in the collabs space, H&M, on Thursday unveiled a link-up with London Fashion Week stalwart Simone Rocha.

The Simone Rocha x H&M collection will launch on March 11 with the retailer’s creative advisor Ann-Sofie Johansson saying Rocha “has been on the H&M wishlist for some time”. 

The pieces will include her signature womenswear, alongside menswear and kidswear. It will be “the first time that Rocha has offered a wardrobe for the entire family,” continuing a tradition that has seen several labels enter new categories for the first time via H&M collabs. 

The retailer said that each category combines a full wardrobe, including special occasionwear such as tulle dresses and tailoring, alongside knits, shirting, outerwear and casual T-shirts. There are also accessories, including Rocha’s signature sparkling jewellery and pearl-embellished footwear.

In another departure, Rocha is the first Irish designer to link up with H&M and the collection “celebrates her personal inter-ethnic heritage and the myriad inspirations which have defined the growth of her label, from the traditions and crafts of Hong Kong through to the greats of art history”.

That means “glimmers of Tudor courtiers, of wild florals, of portraits and photographs, of dolls and playthings”. The offer moves through tartan, beading, florals, pinks, reds, and bespoke fabrics, developed in-house for this collaboration. There’s also a strong Rocha archive element with the designer “reworking favourites into dynamic new propositions that feel right for today”.