Yesterday afternoon, Simone Rocha took over Mansion House, debuting her SS26 collection in the 18th-century residence of the Lord Mayor of London. As the chandeliers twinkled above and tracks from Doris Day and Marianne Faithfull floated into the show space, the mood was set for a delicate dissection of girlhood.

Justine Kurland’s iconic photography series Girl Pictures sat at the centre of Rocha’s moodboard. From 1997 to 2002, Kurland captured staged photographs of teenage girls, imagining they had run away from home and built a community on the fringes of cities, immortalising fleeting moments of adolescence. Alongside Kurland, the work of American novelist Maureen Freely served as a touchstone for Rocha this season, leaving an excerpt from the essay My Dress Rehearsal: or How Mrs Clarke taught me how to sew on the seat of each guest’s chair. Both works explore the cusp of womanhood, inhabiting a liminal state of adolescence where the shoe doesn’t quite fit, a sentiment articulated in the designer’s show notes: “a gesture, a playful provocative stance, an awkward moment.”

The opening look paired an organza crinoline skirt with a sequinned bralette and tiara, shaping the mould for the perfectly off-kilter prom pairings that followed. Cotton poplin dresses or knitted cardigans were covered in vinyl sheaths, giant fabric roses adorned skirts, and models cradled satin pillow clutch bags while walking. Venetian tailcoats were encrusted with crystals on the collar and quilted pink co-ords were accented with black bows, while a selection of this season’s tailored garments featured a pocket of real blooming lilies. The designer’s menswear continued to evolve this season with Simone’s boys hitting the runway in sequinned shorts, draped suiting, floral outerwear and semi-sheer t-shirts. On foot, Rocha expanded her partnership with Cros, debuting a new iteration of the sell-out design in a Ballerina Platform silhouette.