Simone Rocha Dreams Up an Ethereal, Gothic Woman for Spring 2017

If Angela Carter had found her calling in design instead of literature, her aesthetic might look something like the show Simone Rocha staged for Spring 2017. Rocha has long had a penchant for elegant, striking settings for her runway shows — past catwalks have taken over manors and mansions — and this year’s collection, staged at London’s Southwark Cathedral, was no different. This backdrop’s splendor highlights the irreverent edge at the heart of Rocha’s classically feminine, gothic designs (a juxtaposition that would likely elicit Carter’s stamp of approval) — bloomers, sweet Peter Pan collars, and puffy sleeves cut through with knots, sheer panels, and one-shouldered designs, like a church girl fallen from grace. Go behind the scenes of Rocha’s Spring 2017 show with photographer Steph Wilson, here.