Richard Quinn hit the jackpot when Queen Elizabeth II attended his London Fashion Week debut in February 2018.
It is believed to be the only fashion show she has ever attended; afterwards, she presented him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design.
It is fitting, therefore, we should meet at the jubilee pop-up boutique he has designed to celebrate not only the queen, but British fashion, at Bicester Village, the value retail shopping destination outside Oxford in the UK.
The Creative Spot x British Fashion Council brought together leading talents in fashion and jewellery in a showcase surrounded by giant daisy-printed decor, including a daisy-covered Mini and telephone box (both idiosyncratically British) and a pair of sculpted corgis, a nod to the queen’s favourite pets.
The amplified floral prints are a Quinn signature, as are his voluminous gowns and maximalist use of all-over colour and print — everything matching, right down to the shoes and squashy bags, and all delivered with a couture-like sensibility. His autumn collection, unveiled at London Fashion Week last February, was presented in a large, pink-draped, carpeted ballroom, with the English Chamber Orchestra playing the Adagio for Strings in the background.
Those trademark prints and that royal stamp of approval have garnered the designer immediate status in fashion circles, drawing clients such as Amal Clooney, who wore a Richard Quinn floral overskirt and cigarette pants to the Met Gala in 2018, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez, Kendall Jenner, Billy Porter and a Saudi princess who commissioned her wedding dress from him last year.
Surprisingly, the bride’s gown was not smothered in florals. “It was completely different from what we are known for — print. It was fully gold and embroidered,” says Quinn. Unlike the prints, embroidery is a less obvious feature of his work, mostly delicate details added to give sparkle to a floral motif.
He explains how, after large social events he would receive requests from four or five other ladies who were attending, for the same look his client was wearing, or something similar. His burgeoning private customer base has brought a lucrative stream of clients from the Middle East, which is crucial for young designers establishing themselves.
“There are lots of outfits in the Middle East you would never know we had made,” Quinn admits. “I think it is because they have an affinity for things I really like, such as glamour. The things we make are quite conservative — but forward-thinking in a way, in terms of the volumes. I am not aiming to design with bespoke in mind, but it seems to come naturally to us with the luxurious silks and the feathers. And we love the kind of glamour they want to wear.”
The queen’s accolade might have helped crystallise the aura surrounding Quinn and his work, but he wears it lightly. He is humble, warm and sports a ready smile underneath his signature baseball cap and beard. Born in Lewisham, and raised in south-east London, Quinn is the youngest of five children.
He always knew he wanted to do something in art and design, and as a teenager became more interested in fashion. Any ribbing from his friends about his choice was “water off a duck’s back; I couldn’t have cared less”, he says.
He studied at Central Saint Martins, graduating in 2014 before completing a master’s degree specialising in screen printing and fashion — and was awarded the Stella McCartney Scholarship.
“I have been lucky; my teachers, people who had worked in the industry, who I looked up to and respected, were very encouraging," he says. "And, I am always open to feedback.”
He graduated in 2016 and with the money received from an H&M Design Award, worth approximately £40,000 ($49,000), opened a print studio underneath railway arches in south London, where he would screen print fabrics for other people — JW Anderson and Burberry have both been clients — while developing his own collections.
Liberty London, the fashion and lifestyle store famous for its ditsy floral-printed fabrics, spotted his talents and offered him their vintage print fabrics. He later had a debut show at the fashion house in 2017.
Aside from those exuberant English florals, sometimes in clashing combinations, his aesthetic is often drawn from 1950s couture. He cites Christian Dior as one of his inspirations, another being the avant-garde Thierry Mugler — notably his power-shouldered, cinched-waist silhouettes from the 1980s and his slick glamour.
However, there is something idiosyncratically British about Quinn’s designs, from the fabric through to what he describes as the dark British humour. His use of black latex body stockings and face masks give his designs a subversive twist, but he says “it’s quite tongue-in-cheek”. That inspiration harks back to his days at Central Saint Martins, when it was still a stone’s throw from Soho.
He works with a small team of seven, including himself, and prefers it that way. He sketches a complete, fully styled look from head-to-toe, with prints and accessories, and that is what ends up on the catwalk. His shapes range from voluminous opera coats and padded jackets to bustier cocktail dresses and bodysuits with hoods.
If he wants big hats, as seen in the new autumn collection, then one of the team researches it. Sometimes a client might offer a suggestion for a design they’ve commissioned that Quinn likes so much he’ll incorporate it into a collection. The fun bit, he admits, is after the show, when he wonders who will wear a particular look, how they will take it to a new level and put it in a context he would never have thought of.
During the pandemic, he and his team converted the studio to make hospital scrubs for the NHS and, instead of runway shows, produced a couple of films of his collections. It’s an experience he enjoyed and wants to repeat.
In the five years since his debut show at Liberty London, he has produced various successful capsule collections and collaborations with brands such as Moncler Genius, as well as the costumes for Billy Porter’s performance at the Fashion Awards in London last November. He recently secured the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund, which comes with a cash prize of £200,000. He says he actually entered the competition to secure the invaluable industry mentorship that comes with it, to help him develop his e-commerce business.
Of the jubilee project with Bicester Village and the council, he says: “I think if you do collaborations, it has to be the right fit and it’s a trade off, to reach audiences who perhaps wouldn’t know us, but they see the clothes, try them on and could go on to be a customer buying at full price.”
He says the project “was a natural fit because of the queen’s award and the jubilee", adding: "I feel as though we have come full circle.”
When asked about his recollections of the day the queen sat front row, he says it still finds it surreal. “I was told a few days in advance: it was very hush-hush and so we made a few classic head scarves, which were tied on masked models, which was a bit of a nod to Balmoral [the queen’s Scottish home] for the show," he says. "The day was crazy, and the memory is one big haze now.”
However, he feels an affinity for British tradition and heritage, having been brought up in London with childhood visits to the Tower of London and Buckingham Palace, and surrounded by the pageantry of the British royals. Asked how he spent the queen’s jubilee weekend, he says: “We had a big family party.”
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Jetour T1 specs
Engine: 2-litre turbocharged
Power: 254hp
Torque: 390Nm
Price: From Dh126,000
Available: Now
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
THE BIO
Born: Mukalla, Yemen, 1979
Education: UAE University, Al Ain
Family: Married with two daughters: Asayel, 7, and Sara, 6
Favourite piece of music: Horse Dance by Naseer Shamma
Favourite book: Science and geology
Favourite place to travel to: Washington DC
Best advice you’ve ever been given: If you have a dream, you have to believe it, then you will see it.
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
What sanctions would be reimposed?
Under ‘snapback’, measures imposed on Iran by the UN Security Council in six resolutions would be restored, including:
- An arms embargo
- A ban on uranium enrichment and reprocessing
- A ban on launches and other activities with ballistic missiles capable of delivering nuclear weapons, as well as ballistic missile technology transfer and technical assistance
- A targeted global asset freeze and travel ban on Iranian individuals and entities
- Authorisation for countries to inspect Iran Air Cargo and Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines cargoes for banned goods
UAE v Gibraltar
What: International friendly
When: 7pm kick off
Where: Rugby Park, Dubai Sports City
Admission: Free
Online: The match will be broadcast live on Dubai Exiles’ Facebook page
UAE squad: Lucas Waddington (Dubai Exiles), Gio Fourie (Exiles), Craig Nutt (Abu Dhabi Harlequins), Phil Brady (Harlequins), Daniel Perry (Dubai Hurricanes), Esekaia Dranibota (Harlequins), Matt Mills (Exiles), Jaen Botes (Exiles), Kristian Stinson (Exiles), Murray Reason (Abu Dhabi Saracens), Dave Knight (Hurricanes), Ross Samson (Jebel Ali Dragons), DuRandt Gerber (Exiles), Saki Naisau (Dragons), Andrew Powell (Hurricanes), Emosi Vacanau (Harlequins), Niko Volavola (Dragons), Matt Richards (Dragons), Luke Stevenson (Harlequins), Josh Ives (Dubai Sports City Eagles), Sean Stevens (Saracens), Thinus Steyn (Exiles)
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
Paris Can Wait
Dir: Eleanor Coppola
Starring: Alec Baldwin, Diane Lane, Arnaud Viard
Two stars
Conflict, drought, famine
Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.
Band Aid
Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
SHAITTAN
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDirector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EVikas%20Bahl%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarring%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAjay%20Devgn%2C%20R.%20Madhavan%2C%20Jyothika%2C%20Janaki%20Bodiwala%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ERating%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3E3%2F5%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The Matrix Resurrections
Director: Lana Wachowski
Stars: Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Jessica Henwick
Rating:****
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
The specs: 2019 Audi A7 Sportback
Price, base: Dh315,000
Engine: 3.0-litre V6
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 335hp @ 5,000rpm
Torque: 500Nm @ 1,370rpm
Fuel economy 5.9L / 100km
The years Ramadan fell in May
RESULTS
Tottenham 1
Jan Vertonghen 13'
Norwich 1
Josip Drmic 78'
2-3 on penalties
MEFCC information
Tickets range from Dh110 for an advance single-day pass to Dh300 for a weekend pass at the door. VIP tickets have sold out. Visit www.mefcc.com to purchase tickets in advance.
Match info
Costa Rica 0
Serbia 1
Kolarov (56')
