Design Doyen

Some of Rocha's designs. Photos Provided to China Daily

European fashion king owes success to his Asian Roots

Nestled in the quiet London borough of Islington stands a warehouse, which, at first appearance, could hardly be associated with anything to do with high-end fashion. But once inside, the world of glamour unfolds.

A large square space is fenced by lines of clothes and in the center struts a model, wearing a black crochet dress and a delicate hat on her head, as she poses for photographs.

But she is not the real star. The man of the hour is a big fellow with long gray hair and sits in the very center of the room behind the lens of camera.

Fashion designer John Rocha is engrossed as he puts the finishing touches to a 12-minute show for the London Fashion Week, a show he has been involved with for more than 25 years.

John Rocha received a Commander of the British Empire (CBE) from the Queen in 2002 in recognition of his contribution to the fashion industry. Photos Provided to China Daily

"This moment is very difficult because a lot of models are from different places," he says. "Once they show up and the cast is done, then I think I will be fine."

Shuffling casually in his leather flip-flops, the internationally acclaimed designer seemed more like an affable kung-fu master than a king of fashion.

However, when he starts to talk about his work, his eyes begin to sparkle and with good reason. His retail empire has an annual turnover of more than 200 million euros.

Born in Hong Kong and of Chinese and Portuguese descent, Rocha came to London to find a job as a psychiatric nurse when he was 18. Three years later, he switched to studying fashion and attended the Croydon School of Art and Design.

"I came to realize I didn't want to do it (nursing) for the rest of my life, so I thought maybe I should try something else," he says waving his fingers that sport large rings on both hands.

When Rocha began his career he was perhaps blessed with the luck of the Irish. After he finished studies he moved to Dublin, where he started his own fashion design business with his wife and business partner, Odette. The couple settled in the emerald isle and raised three children.

His first successful brand was called Chinatown, a women's wear collection inspired by the movie starring Jack Nicholson.

Now 58, John Rocha is a renowned name in the industry and has a long list of celebrity clients, such as U2's Bono and Roisin Murphy.

As a career highlight, Rocha received a "Commander of the British Empire" (CBE) from the Queen in 2002, in recognition of his contribution to the fashion industry.

However, Rocha's design portfolio encompasses far beyond the catwalk.

Over the years, he has seen his business interests snowball into crystal, jewelry and interior decoration.

He now has a crystal collection for Waterford and an accessories label for the Debenhams department story.

In 1999, the opening of the Morrison Hotel in Dublin marked his successful involvement in architecture. He is currently designing another hotel in France that is expected to take three years to finish.

There is a lot of difference between designing a dress and a building, he says.

"A dress can be around for six months, but buildings stay forever," he says. "It takes you three years to finish a building and several months to design a collection."

Despite the forays into new fields, Rocha says fashion design will always be his priority. "Fashion is still my main thing. The others are icing on the cake. Something I have time to do and enjoy doing."

Considering the capricious nature of the fashion industry, Rocha says he is successful because he is "constantly challenging himself".

"There is always competition from newcomers," he says.

"Competition is good, you challenge yourself to make you work you harder.

"That is why I like the industry because you should be as good as you were six months ago and you constantly have to do better things."

Rocha has noticed the rise of Asian designers and the roles they are playing in the global fashion arena.

American-Chinese Vera Wang and Malaysian Jimmy Choo are a few names that come to mind.

"It is great to see a lot of Asian designers that are making progress in the world stage," he says. "When I first started 25 years ago, I didn't see many."

Having spent his early years in Hong Kong, he says Asian culture had left an indelible mark and this is reflected in his designs.

"I look at things more calmer and in a more Asian way than the European way," he says. "I was there until I was 17 and it affected the way I think. It is very much part of me."

Rocha is an avid collector of fine art including works by Beijing-based sculptor Xiang Jing and Chinese artist Zhang Xiaogang.

Known for his particular love of handicrafts and classical tailoring, Rocha says his best advice is "to be true to yourself".

"Pretending won't last. If you are true to yourself, you can continue to do it all the time and you will continue to do it better and better," he says.

Rocha's business empire has taken an aggressive global foray with his labels featuring across the globe, such as Hong Kong, Turkey, Indian and Russia. He also has a first shop in London in the heart of Mayfair.

More than 60 percent of his sales are from the European market but he senses a huge potential in Asia.

He already has a presence in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Shenzhen and hopes to expand across the Chinese mainland soon.

He staged a show at the Irish pavilion during the Shanghai World Expo last October and plans to stage more shows in China.

"The buying public in China really like my design," he says. "It is a big country. It's great to be able to something in the country that I originally come from."

With hectic work schedule all-year round, Rocha says he still needs time to travel to find new ideas.

In March, he will visit Cuba and later this year plans to go fishing in Mongolia.

As an avid fly fishing lover, his angling trips have taken him to icy Alaska and the jungles of South America.

"If you don't travel, you don't see things and you can't develop your ideas," he says. "I always travel and see things. That inspires me as a designer."