September 18, 2023 |
“This one’s for you Dad x”. Scribbled on the back of a photograph of Richard Quinn’s parents wedding, those words hung, in tribute to his late father, Patrick, who passed away in June. Blanketing the Andaz Hotel, where the show came to pass, in a fabulous display of flowers, Quinn sent his models, perfectly poised, through the ballroom to the deep, angelic choral of a men’s choir.
Unfurling like a ballet, what could be considered the first act commenced with a dance. Fluttering like fairies, a quintet of floral applique tulle gown wearing lush princess gowns pranced and pirouetted through choreography that resembled Irish dancing. Quinn’s parents are Irish, and his late father would regularly take his sisters Irish dancing in their youth, so this waltz was entrenched in memory. Act two beget the promenade. Dazzling gowns, exquisitely embellished with crystals, elaborately layed sequins and supple shimmers, stepped gently through. Tufts of ostrich feathers bloomed from the bust of two extravagant dresses; the rigidity of the gauzy crinolines – decked with bundles of flowers – had a certain lightness to them that felt as if they might simply float, up, up and into the heavens. One of those sculptural creations was worn by Jourdan Dunn who looked ethereal in a strapless version, perfectly peppered with fields of summer flora.
It was difficult to believe that it wasn’t haute couture; especially with the proximity with which models walked to the audience – Quinn’s microscopic attention to detail, and the intricacy of the garments, was palpable.
The final act resembled a wedding procession. Two flower girls in sturdy white frocks, again, adorned with flowers, cobalt blue ones in this case, stepped in perfect synchronicity, leading the way for the bride. In a theatrically-proportioned snow white cape with a stringy golden catsuit, the betrothed was the embodiment of graceful glamour.
During the cumulative walk through of the show, the (choir) sung, “you’ve not seen nothing like the mighty Quinn”, calling to a close a poignant show marked by sadness but swathed in a celebration of life.
Photography courtesy of Richard Quinn.
