Whimsical. Feminine. Ethereal. These are the words often used to describe the pieces that Simone Rocha sends down the runway. There is always rounded and architectural volume, contrasts between gilded brocades and plain canvas, and creatively edged cottons and gauzy layers.

She is known for being incredibly thoughtful. Take the designer’s SS21 collection, where upon close inspection the gauzy layers held little messages – on tulle, super-fine patterns of castles, in the broderie anglaise, SR monograms. When queried about the meaning, she replied: “Castles in faraway places. I think that’s the escapism we’re all craving.” Another signature is the use of pearls. This season, there were headdresses, breast outliners, and a kind of  puffed-sleeve skeleton made of pearls.

Simone has revealed in previous interviews that when it comes to her creative process, everything starts with fabric. Unlike other designers, she doesn’t draw, but rather stands and works with a model in her North London atelier. In an industry where so much can seem the same, her originality seems to know no bounds. Every collection feels as if only she could have designed it – which is perhaps why the women who wear her incredible clothes are so loyal. She has said of her namesake label: “It’s not just a brand, it’s a community of like-minded people.”