Liběna Rochová: Touches

She never created clothing alone—she created stories to be worn on both body and soul. This is why the exhibition of Liběna Rochová is far more than a retrospective of one of the Czech Republic’s most influential fashion designers. It is also an invitation to look at fashion differently: as a language that speaks about space, the body, the spirit, and society. Here, garments become sculptures, performative objects, and cultural statements. This is precisely what makes Liběna Rochová’s work exceptional: throughout her career, she consistently transcended the boundaries of her discipline and opened new perspectives on what fashion can be.

Presented at the Moravian Gallery in Brno from November 2025 to August 2027, this exhibition brings together Rochová’s work in a comprehensive form for the very first time. For us, as curators, it offers a unique opportunity to introduce visitors to the journey of an artist who never succumbed to the dictates of seasonal trends. Rochová’s approach has always been timeless. Her garments emerge from a profound engagement with material, form, and the very essence of clothing itself.

Liběna Rochová embraced sustainability long before the term became a guiding principle of the fashion industry. She worked with surplus materials, reused and transformed her own forms, and favoured handcraft over mass production. More importantly, she continuously reflected on the meaning of clothing: what it can express, how it shapes the space around the body, and how it relates to human identity. In her studio, garments were never “just clothes”; they were objects that invited contemplation.

The retrospective is divided into several thematic sections, each revealing a different dimension of Rochová’s creative practice—from her fascinating experiments with form and material in the 1980s, through her iconic art-inspired collections, to more recent projects in which clothing is understood as an intimate touch or as a commission carrying a deeply personal story. Visitors will embark on a symbolic journey that mirrors both the evolution of Czech fashion and changing ways of thinking about design.

Equally important is the spiritual dimension of Rochová’s work. Her garments are concerned not only with outward appearance but also with inner experience. The designer herself often speaks of “dressing the soul,” and this idea is key to understanding her practice. Every piece bears traces of a dialogue between creator and wearer, between space and body, between material and idea.

The exhibition is also distinguished by its architectural concept, created by Magdalena Rochová, Liběna Rochová’s daughter. Her design does not merely frame the exhibition; it actively engages with it. Visitors move through seven interconnected rooms that function as individual chapters—a landscape of thoughts and emotions through which the story of a singular artistic career unfolds.

When we decided to prepare this exhibition, we felt that it should be more than a summary of an accomplished career. It is a dialogue about what fashion means within a broader cultural and social context. It is also an opportunity to recognise once again that the Czech artistic scene has produced a designer whose work stands confidently on an international stage.

We invite visitors to discover garments that transcend their practical function and become reflections on life, time, and space. Above all, we invite them to encounter the unique vision of Liběna Rochová—a vision that reminds us that fashion can be not only beautiful, but also profound.

Admission – 390 / 195 / 750 Kč (Standard / Reduced / Family ticket), includes admission to the exhibition Jan Černý: FLOW STATE.