Gaultier's modern day Cinderella according to Simone Rocha

For Simone Rocha, dressing in the role of Jean Paul Gaultier was an easy feat. Immersed in the maison's archive, she discovered creations with traditional Irish crochet, satin corsets and pink hues, instantly feeling at home. Presented in Paris yesterday afternoon, her first couture collection merged Gaultier's individualistic flair, a legend in the fashion industry, with the hyper-feminine sensibility of the young designer, writing a new page of success in the maison's collaborative project. Since the announcement last summer that Rocha would take on the role of guest designer for the Haute Couture SS24 collection, the coquette trend has experienced an unstoppable rise. Bows and pearls adorned sneakers, accessories, and entire outfits, becoming more than just a trend but a distinct genre. Adding transparency and gloss to her sweet aesthetic, often associated with the worlds of maternity and weddings, Rocha's couture embodied the perfect marriage of femininity and eroticism. Boldness and sensuality clashed with the tenderness of blush pink, as if a princess from centuries ago had attended a 2024 party.

All of Jean Paul Gaultier's stylistic codes were present: corsets, cone bras, striped jerseys, and sailor-style hats, reinterpreted according to the rules by the Irish designer. Cones turned into roses, millerighe became fluttering satin stripes, corsets curled more and more to form the silhouettes of 1700 panniers. Yards and yards of tulle and satin were layered to create covering and airy looks, while others let transparency steal the scene. Some models held metallic roses in their hands, a symbol of a gesture the fashion enfant terrible used to make after his shows, gifting flowers to the muses who had walked for him. Just moments before the presentation, guests among the seats at the maison's headquarters predicted the unlikely union of worlds too different from each other, but at the sight of the first looks from the collection, all doubts faded. A glorious example of undeniable attraction between opposites, Rocha's play of contrasts on the runway brought to life an elegant and sensual imagery, leaving everyone present with a smile on their faces.

It wasn't just about pink and tulle. Total black looks took the form of bell-shaped dresses, geometric suits, and tailored pants paired with metallic appliqué tops, while crystal rhinestones dangled from flesh-colored bras forming shell-shaped cups. Alongside pink, off-white, and black, deep accents of blue and green appeared at different moments, while celestial blue added balloon sleeves to a sleeveless bodysuit. Attention to detail extended to the lobes and heels of the models, adorned with braided hair tufts, perhaps a reference to a centuries-old custom related to the world of bridal superstitions, while the footwear, transparent plexiglass platforms, revealed their feet imitating the iconic crystal heels of one of the most vanilla princesses in history. Thrown a millennium and a half ahead, amidst social media and the coquette trend, celle-ci n'est pas just any Cinderella.