Giant Snuggle Bunnies Stole the Show at Simone Rocha FW25
Plus an all-star cast including Alexa Chung, Bel Powley, Fiona Shaw, Andrea Riseborough, Minha Kim and Fionn O’Shea.
“Distilling the past for the present,” read Simone Rocha’s poetic show notes, “past, present, presence, pretend.” In short, a very lyrical way of putting something quite simple, but as ever, masterfully done by Rocha. For her Fall/Winter 2025 collection the London fashion darling mined her archive (and even a former show venue, Goldsmiths’ Hall, which hosted her FW18 show back in the day) to create something entirely new – and distinctly Rocha.
Inspired, in part, by Aesop’s fable The Tortoise and the Hare, Rocha seemed to be borrowing from the past (slowly, steadily) to build a more successful future. Physically, that looked like a collection that brought together all her tried-and-tested design motifs – big bow energy, billowing shoulders, glitzy embellishments and faux furry friends – into one collection.
Backstage, she spoke about school uniforms, too, and the schoolyard characters her models took on: the headmistress, the teacher, the girls, the boys. Among the all-star lineup were Alexa Chung, Bel Powley, Fiona Shaw, Andrea Riseborough, Pachinko’s Minha Kim and Normal People’s Fionn O’Shea. True to Rocha, there was a tongue-in-cheek feel to it all. One model stomped down the runway with her arms crossed in the ultimate “can’t be ars*d” mood.
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But the real star of the show? The array of rabbits – or hares, if we’re being technical about it. They peeked out from bags, doubled up as clutches, rested over shoulders like fur stoles and wrapped around necks like supersized scarves, each giving “emotional support animal”. They came in fluffy, furry and even satin finishes, with embellished buttons for eyes. They weren’t the only animal on the runway though. Other models carried far more demure tortoise hardshell resin bags, reminiscent of the egg bags from seasons past.
Overall, it felt like quite a boyish collection, with the menswear offering bursting with knee-length shorts, brogues and rugby shirts. But the womenswear – the leather biker jackets and denim, especially – were fresh and fun. Faux fur coats, pink silk jacquard and Rocha’s favoured tinsel-y bouclé tweed were all shredded to ribbons, and at times bound with actual pink and red ribbons. In terms of footwear, there was lots to love: ballet flats (of course), as well as belted brogues and faux fur kitten heels. It was all so good that absence of Rocha’s renowned Crocs collab was barely felt, and that’s saying something.
Browse the gallery above to see some of the best looks and keep up with all London Fashion Week happenings here.
