February 21, 2018 |
This afternoon’s proceedings at Richard Quinn got off to the most regal of starts courtesy of the attendance of Her Majesty The Queen – yes, THE ACTUAL QUEEN dropped in to see what all the fuss was about. Is she a client of Mr Quinn’s? A long-term collector of his work? It wouldn’t surprise us, given the prevalence of headscarves, prints, florals and billowing capes in the Autumn/ Winter 2018 collection, but on this occasion HRH was there on a mission, perched FROW beside Anna Wintour and Caroline Rush to bestow Richard with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design. The award itself, designed by Ms Angela Kelly, Her Majesty’s personal advisor and wardrobe orchestrator for the past 26 years, aims to provide a legacy of support for the industry in recognition of the role fashion has played throughout The Queen’s reign.
Richard is the first recipient of the honour, a reflection not only of exceptional talent and originality, but also of value to the community and/or strong, sustainable policies. All of that was on show here, and has been repeatedly demonstrated via his namesake label, through which he has created a print studio, offering accessible printing services to students, and more recently, offering sampling services to more established brands. Mr. Quinn spoke to our very own Richard Gray for the new issue of 10 Magazine, in our DESIGNER CO-OP piece about the importance of collaboration, and we are delighted that Her Maj shares team ten’s taste in designers. Now, excuse us while we have a quick lie down to recover from what has been an incredible London Fashion Week.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd Evans
