John Rocha fuk@lfw s/s 08

John Rocha's catwalk shows always seem to evoke a romantic fairytale or a bohemian voyage to a land far away, but most of all they are truly beautiful without being fussy or too girlish. His S/S08 collection was no exception. He provided his usual palette of charcoals, antique roses and bone-whites but this time included pops of lime and fuchsia on ruffle detailing and a really successful deep, kingfisher blue on a leather trench.

The mood and silhouette was relaxed; tasselled scarves are draped and entwined over shoulders, silky dresses hang nonchalantly about the hips and tailored coats are fitted but not belted tight and feature delicate knitted cap sleeves in place of full-length ones. The boys are given jersey harem pants to pair with one-button blazers and navy trench coats that are worn billowing and undone.

Girls had pink, sequined eyes, which carried on as a theme throughout with sequin stars appliquéd on a gauze skirt and pearly princess collars on silky vests. White petals cover delicate tulle shifts and appear on lapels, collars and hems. The severe top-knot of the hair was offset by cute crocheted caps with either silk petals and corsages or crescent moons and star aerials that were inspired by a series of Alexander Calder lithographs from the fifties. The linear shapes of his work pop up throughout the collection and work well alongside the more romantic, voluminous pieces.

The collection seems to borrow from an abundance of influences but each piece somehow slots naturally together. A gypsy scarf is the perfect partner of a fifties New Look-esque skirt suit and the boys can pair silk joggers with a smart, structured shirt to great effect. S/S08 has only reinforced something for us at www.fuk.co.uk – that John Rocha is a genius.

www.johnrocha.ie

Words: Selene Pearson
Photos: Ian Gillett