Simone Rocha and the bottle she has designed
Tell us about the work that you’re doing with Cointreau at the moment.
I’m very proud to say that I’m Cointreau’s Creative Director, with that I’ve designed them a bottle to go alongside a pop-up bar that I’m helping to curate during London Fashion Week.
You've also created a new cocktail? Something we definitely want to try.
The cocktail I have designed is the Cointreau Wild Rose to coincide with the floral theme of the bar and it’s a take on the Cointreau Fizz cocktail, it’s got Cointreau, Rose, Lemon, so it’s really fresh and delicious.
Where did the inspiration come for the design?
I was looking through my past collections, and one of my signatures is lace, so I wanted to put that design into the bottle, so I used a lace print on the bottle.
Tell us a little more about the pop-up bar you’ve helped to design.
The Cointreau pop up bar is going to be around for London Fashion Week. I based it on quite a floral theme, so it’s almost like an indoor rose-walled garden because I wanted something very fresh but felt really intimate.
It’s very much made from my aesthetic which is modern romance and with heritage to the classic feeling of Cointreau.
Who did you design the bottle and bar for?
I was very much thinking about what I would like, and what girls I dress would like as well as feeling interesting to anyone who would be interested in something different.
When you’re designing, whether it’s for a bottle, bar or collection is your thought process quite similar?
It’s about looking at lots of research and seeing what inspires me. The same photograph could help to inspire a bar or a clothing collection.
What does it mean to you to become the first ever recipient of the ELLE/Cointreau bursary?
It’s absolutely amazing, I’m so honoured. Sponsorships for a young designer are hugely beneficial and I really hope they continue to do it, it has really benefited my label.
You’ve also been supported by Fashion East and the Topshop NEWGEN Scheme, so how have they helped to benefit you?
They’ve been absolutely brilliant. The thing is, when you’re a young designer in London there are such wonderful opportunities for sponsorship and actually for support when you come out of college and I really found that from the Fashion East and Topshop NEWGEN.
What advice do you have for aspiring designers?
I really believe that you should make work that you love and really believe in, and be really open minded. There are lots of different avenues, because with fashion there are so many different elements whether it’s design, styling pr photography and I think that the best thing is to really take the time to find out what’s right for you in the industry and then go for it.
Your mother and brother are both on-hand to help with your brand, so how important is it for you to have your family around you?
I feel very lucky that my family are part of my business and to have their support is wonderful.
What’s next for you?
I am currently working on my SS14 show for September and London Fashion Week.
Can you give us any clue of what to expect from your new collection?
No, I’m sorry it’s top secret at the minute; you’ll have to wait for Fashion Week.
And wait we will, we can't wait to see the next collection from Simone.
Simone Rocha is Cointreau’s Creative Director. The Cointreau Privé designed by Simone Rocha is open from 13-22 September at St Martins Lane and guests can register to attend on www.cointreauprive.co.uk
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