Richard Quinn explores heartbreak through romanticism and fetish for AW22.
A universe where heartbreak expresses itself in most polarising ways of romanticism and fetish. This is what Richard Quinn explored at his AW22 show on Saturday night in the iconic Lindley Hall in London, embellishing the venue with soft pink hues and a live classical orchestra in the middle of the runway lavishly rooted with blush pink roses all over. As the orchestra started playing the infamous Barber’s Adagio For Strings, the opening looks portrayed the act of leaving, as models quietly stepped out in signature Quinn floral trapeze swing coats, matched with extravagantly wide brim hats and old-school hat boxed bags in contrasting dark greens.
The designer’s fabled blend of skin-tight fetish gear, filled with latex and gimp masks met very soft, brilliantly embellished hourglass tailored coats and dresses in the beloved yellow and blue florals. The silhouettes showcased couture-like, meticulous shaping that brought the audience to a standstill with emotion. The second act of the collection brought a new sense of cocooning and retracting the face with raised shoulders and drawstring hoods closing off the face – the grief that follows heartbreak, and grief for the old version of ourselves.
Volumes draped upon silk-taffeta in primary blues and reds, matched with sunglasses brought out the universe around us, shedding our cocoon to bring out inner strength. As Lila Moss closed the show in a short, silk white dress, embellished with crystal white daisies, protruding with floral stems, Quinn gave full-circle healing within life, a beautiful marriage to each part to ourselves – broken or not.
