Biography
The designer, known for her signature sense of subversive femininity, has become a staple at London Fashion Week, with stores on both sides of the Atlantic and stockists that include Matches Fashion, Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue.
The Irish designer made her debut at London Fashion on-schedule with Fashion East in 2010, the same year she graduated from the acclaimed fashion MA at Central Saint Martins. Prior to that, she completed her BA at The National College of Art and Design in Dublin.
She is the daughter of Hong Kong-born, Dublin-based designer John Rocha. Odette, her mother, is John’s manager. While she followed her father’s footsteps in becoming a designer, Rocha has made a name for herself with her unique aesthetic that is sharper and more minimal than her father’s, and often incorporates clean colour palettes and experimental fabrics, such as wrapped cellophane and heavily embroidered lace.
Rocha’s tomboy-feminine collections have since gained much traction, particularly with renowned stockists like Dover Street Market in London and Ginza, Ikram in Chicago, 10 Corso Como in Milan and Seoul, and previously Colette in Paris. In August 2015, Rocha opened her first store in London on Mount Street. The store interiors feature Rocha’s signature furniture and handmade sculptures. The following year, she opened her first US store in Soho, New York.
In February 2018, Rocha presented her first collection during Milan Fashion Week as creative director for Moncler as part of the Genius Group.
Accolades have included the British Fashion Awards for Emerging Talent, Ready-to-Wear in 2013 and The New Establishment Award (2014). Most recently at the 2016 Fashion Awards, Rocha received the British Womenswear Designer Award as well as the 2016 Harper’s Bazaar Designer of Year Award. For AW19, she was featured in Vogue.com’s Top Ten Shows for the seventh consecutive season.