Richard Quinn’s SS19 show was a fashion fairytale

A love letter to couture.

What does fashion mean to you? Or, to pose another question, what’s the purpose of fashion? Comfort, cut, form? For many it’s a fast-track to craft ones identify; fill in the gaps and covey a message through a loud print, pair of flares or polo-neck. For me, it is a time to indulge in a fantasy. To close London Fashion Week, Richard Quinn served us with fantasy with a capital ‘F’. One of the most desirable collections on the catwalk I’ve seen for years – best described as “cracked couture” – Quinn showcased a breathtaking collection of signature-oversized florals, innovative Hitchcockian silhouettes, with a heady dose of glamour. Every look was masterful: a mash-up of fifties drama, fetishism and fairytale, while members of the London Philharmonic Orchestra performed live.

The Central Saint Martins alumni is of course used to high-drama catwalk events. Last season he received the royal seal of approval, with the Queen sat front row. For SS19, instead the designer invited GCSE and A-level art pupils from his former school – plus students from CSM – to sit on the FROW: “At a time when real damage is occurring to arts education I want to point to how substantially its creative power lights the path to our future.”

“In these dystopian times, there is a search for the things that can light our way,” Quinn shares in his show notes. “In this collection I’ve pushed colour, print and hyper-glamorous shape to the max. Equally important to me, however, is celebrating the community I come from, and thanking British art education for the fact I am in business today.”

Check out our exclusive behind the scenes imagery from Richard Quinn’s SS19 in our gallery below, shot by Stella Morais for HUNGER.

Photography
Stella Morais
Text
Emma Firth