Heavy embellishments, rich brocade, and hidden castles. No, we’re not describing Hollywood’s latest period piece. These are the defining details of designer Simone Rocha’s latest ready-to-wear collection.

Presented in the UK in adherence to COVID-19 guidelines, Rocha’s Spring/Summer 2021 collection offers a welcomed escape into an imagined world of European royalty and the luxury that characterizes them with a fresh, modern twist.

Each model appears as though they are posing for their royal portraits, clothed in the most expensive fabrics with even more expensive detailing. Their hair in done up bulky curls, some covered by jeweled netting, some resting next to oversized earrings, each details plays into this regal fantasy. That is, until we look down a little further into each look. Some of the rich, beautifully embellished garments stop abruptly at mid-calf, revealing platform pearl sandals and chunky laced-up shoes. This contemporary touch contrasts the plush royal elements we’re used to seeing on screen, bringing the excessive draping and pearl clutches out of the fantasy and into the world around us.

The modern elements continue with asymmetrical details, jeweled bralettes, seersucker ensembles, and the shocking notion that women are allowed to wear pants. This smart take on the fabrics, styles, and silhouettes we so often associate with historical costumes of the most affluent members of society is one that we don’t typically see.

Certain elements such as the exquisite tailoring and dramatic puffed sleeves could be characteristic of either world, blurring the lines of how much of this collection is a fantasy and how much is an encapsulation of modern trends.

While the numerous bows and Rocha’s signature pearls contribute to this idea of royal luxury, offering the viewer a dreamlike escape, the modern structures bring us back to reality, the thought of our own wardrobes. Just as we can journey into this rich, detailed fantasy, the collection also leaves us to imagine where we could don these regal numbers today.