Simone Rocha brings the fable of the tortoise and the hare to life on London's catwalks

Slow and steady wins the race: this is the lesson retained from Simone Rocha's FW25 collection, just presented at London Fashion Week. The Dublin-based designer, who launched her eponymous brand about fifteen years ago, once again shows the fashion audience that even if the process takes time, success will wait at the finish line, no matter how long it takes. As the brand asserts itself more with each fashion week and collaboration — notably with Crocs and especially after her appearance on Jean-Paul Gaultier's runway as a guest designer, where her ultra-modern Cinderella shoes instantly captivated the audience — Simone Rocha unveiled a collection yesterday that may not please those scandalized by the lion heads of Schiaparelli's SS23 show but will likely appeal to French poetry enthusiasts. Indeed, if the creations seemed straight out of a fable, it's because the young designer’s muses were none other than The Tortoise and the Hare by Jean de la Fontaine.

Adding to the all-leather looks and pastel blue and pink dresses reminiscent of old Walt Disney princesses were bunny plushies and faux fur pieces, as if the model had just returned from a successful hunt. The signature coquette Rocha touch was, of course, present through small bows and floral patterns. Yet, the girly silhouettes were disrupted by a more aggressive twist with black, leather, and cuts literally falling into shreds, as if a forest animal battle had occurred before the show started. Well-mannered tweed jackets and skirts à la Chanel also underwent shredding treatment. Supermodels Bel Powley and Alexa Chung wore outfits blending dresses and coats inspired by the rebellious spirit of the perfecto jacket, embodying cool, even cheeky, girl silhouettes. Chung’s faux fur bra à la Barbarella was part of a broader range of fuzzy pieces echoing the hare motif that inspired Rocha. On the menswear side, there were ruffled tops, pearl-embellished jumpsuits, and a remarkable fish-tail parka cinched at the waist, paired with a resin clutch resembling tortoiseshell — a subtler nod to the hare theme.

Despite its innovation, the collection carries a deeply rooted nostalgic factor, expressed through the use of vintage patterns to craft looks evoking collective memories that strike the heart. The penultimate silhouette, for instance, featured a black duchess satin egg-shaped dress resembling a turtle, cinched at the shoulder and knee with a chain of bicycle locks, symbolizing school bike shelters. This inspiration becomes clearer when hearing the designer recount why she chose the tortoise and the hare as her muses. It stemmed from a conversation with her former high school principal. She explains, referring to Ms. Ruddock, the principal: “She told me the story of the tortoise and the hare. She said that in education or life, you’ll be one or the other. I remember thinking as I left school, 'Hmm. I’m ready to be a tortoise.’” And for Simone Rocha, this slow yet steady pace pays off. While there are critiques to be made — like occasionally cheap-looking fabrics and not always perfect cuts — one can’t help but think Jean de la Fontaine would have appreciated the concept. Ms. Ruddock surely does.