Simone Rocha Is Jean Paul Gaultier's Next Guest Couturier

The upcoming haute couture season just got a lot more exciting with today's announcement that London designer Simone Rocha will be taking the creative helm at Jean Paul Gaultier's legendary atelier. As part of the maison's revolving door of guest designers tasked with reimagining Gaultier's signatures, Rocha joins the ranks of Sacai, Haider Ackermann, and Rabanne's Julien Dossena.

The previous season we witnessed Dossena skilfully blend Paco Rabanne's retro-futurism with the key codes of Gaultier, including the mariner strips and cone bra. Prior to that Haider Ackermann and Balmain's Olivier Rouestening tried their hand at classic couture techniques and the campy theatrics that got Gaultier stamped with the nickname 'l'enfant terrible'.

Still, Gaultier isn't the only one with clear codes to play with. Earlier this week Simone Rocha presented her S/S 24 collection as part of London Fashion Week, showcasing all the romance we've come to expect from the brand. Her playful mish-mash of tulle, ruffles, and ribbon on coquettish and utilitarian silhouettes alike, give us a small taste of what we should expect from her collaboration with the storied couturier.

The designer is set to unveil her guest collection for Jean Paul Gaultier during Paris Haute Couture Week in January. As both designers have revolutionised fashion through the challenging of stereotypes around femininity, the show is already one of the season's most anticipated.