Just as we admire the people who create beautiful things, we yearn to know who, or what, inspires them to create such beauty. From next month, girls girls girls a major new group show at Lismore Castle curated by Simone Rocha, will provide an insight into the inner workings of one of the most celebrated fashion designers working today. 

The multidisciplinary exhibition, much like Rocha’s clothing, is an exploration of femininity. Particularly, it shares the female gaze from multiple viewpoints. This journey will include some of the best known artists of past and present including Cindy Sherman and American visual artist Roni Horn to Irish artists Genieve Figgis (who has been a reference point for both Rocha and other fashion designers such as Marc Jacobs) as well as sculpturist Dorothy Cross.

As always, it’s the tension between past and present, femininity and masculinity – and the grey areas inbetween – that interests Rocha. “The female spirit and experience has been a strong focus of my work from the beginning. My engagement with femininity must also always have a balance – traditional craft techniques versus masculine tailoring, natural forms vs man-made. I am always pushing to make something traditionally feminine in a modern, off-kilter world.” 

Running from April to October, girls girls girls will be the main show on the Lismore Castle Arts programme for 2022. See a preview of some of the artwork below and for more information visit Lismorecastlearts.ie.

Main image: Simone Rocha, courtesy of H&M. 

A look from the Simone Rocha autumn winter 2022 catwalk show at London Fashion Week in February. The show took inspiration from Irish folklore tale The Children of Lir. 

Cindy Sherman, “Untitled 1976/2000”. 

Cassi Namoda, “Conjoined Twins in Soft Blue Dressing”, 2020.

Sian Costello, “Wishful Self Portrait III”, 2020.

Sophie Barber, “Kim and Kanye by Juergen again”, 2021. 

Luo Yang, “Jian San”.