UK Edition
London Fashion Week mourns with show in Queen’s honour
Designer Richard Quinn made from scratch more than 20 all-black outfits in a tribute to the Queen that closed London Fashion Week
Richard Quinn closed an unusual London Fashion Week on Tuesday evening in the most fitting way possible - with a newly created black collection complete with lace veils and bold embroidery dedicated to the Queen.
The London-born designer has had a frantic 10 days.
When news of the Queen’s death broke, his original collection was almost finished.
But instead of opening the show with a single mourning dress, as so many other designers chose to, he made from scratch more than 20 intricately designed all-black looks that quickly became one of the highlights of London Fashion week.
"We wanted to be appropriate," Quinn said backstage. "It was a really historic moment. Usually 10 days before a new show we would never do something new, but it was our way of mourning."
For reference, Quinn - who says he has barely slept for 10 days - looked to the clothes the Royal family wore when George VI and even Queen Victoria died: heavy veils, long embroidered skirts and tight bodices.
It was a beautiful start to the show and a touching tribute from a man who owes much of his career to the Queen.
Quinn launched his namesake label in 2016 and was thrust into the spotlight after Her Majesty made a surprise appearance at his London Fashion Week show in 2018 to present him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.
It was the Queen’s first-ever fashion show, and she - unlike most novices - sat next to Anna Wintour, the American Vogue editor-in-chief often referred to as the queen of the fashion world.
In 2018 Quinn created a collection full of swing coats, silk headscarves and vibrant floral prints that referenced her Balmoral wardrobe; on Tuesday’s show at the Lindley Hall in Westminster, models walked down the catwalk in black headscarves and black crowns.
Halfway through the show, the music changed and the original colourful collection came out, but as the show closed and black confetti fell from the ceiling, it was the spectacular mourning outfits that everyone remembered.
"It was a huge sprint but we decided we wanted to mark the occasion pretty early on," Quinn said.
"Fashion is always a commentary on what’s happening in the world, and although the Queen’s death is very fresh and raw, with our history, a tribute felt like the only thing to do."