Loved by Amal (and the Queen) . . . now on sale at Debenhams
Your debut show at London Fashion Week is a stomach-churning experience for any young designer. But when 28-year-old richard Quinn sent his models down his inaugural catwalk in February, he had the added pressure of royalty on the front row: not only the queen of fashion, Vogue editorin-chief Anna Wintour, but Her Majesty The Queen, too.
Presenting Quinn with the first Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, the monarch was making her first appearance at London Fashion Week.
Soon after this triumph, Quinn received a call from Amal Clooney, one of the world’s most high-profile women: would he dress her for the Met Gala?
While opinions were divided on the resulting red-carpet moment — a strapless corset top with navy trousers and a huge floral skirt — it was certainly a show-stopper and cemented Quinn’s wunderkind status. Now, his celebrity clients include the actress Thandie Newton and model du jour Adwoa Aboah.
Known for his top-to-toe floral prints and avant-garde aesthetics — dresses made from foil, models sporting patterned motorcycle helmets — Quinn might not seem an obvious choice to collaborate with High Street store Debenhams (it has historically partnered with safer names, such as Jasper Conran and Julien Macdonald).
His collection certainly pushes the store’s regular occasionwear in a more edgy direction. The 11-piece range includes a strapless dress with full-length cape, an A-line midi with lemon-yellow blooms and dramatic bell sleeves, and a trapeze-shape coat in a vibrant red-rose print. Surely there were battles to tone it down during the design process?
‘Pretty much everything is as it was in my original drawings,’ insists Quinn when we meet. ‘I think Debenhams