This Tinsel-Trimmed Frock Makes Playing Dress-Up an Adult Affair

As a child, Simone Rocha played with porcelain dolls outfitted in Victorian-style frocks. While designing her spring 2018 collection, she excavated them from storage for her infant daughter to play with. Seeing their frilly, ladylike ensembles decades later had an unexpected effect on the designer, and in turn influenced the collection’s ruffle, lace, and tulle-trimmed silhouettes boasting voluminous bishop sleeves and candy-colored florals. Embroidered chains of tinsel paper dolls circle around this midi-length cream dress, paying further homage to the favored toys. The bright red motif brings a fiery edge to the prim confection, materializing Rocha’s grown-up perspective on joyful childhood memories into a sophisticated take on playtime dress.

Simone Rocha Embroidered Tulle Dress, $2,360; mytheresa.com.