He’s become one of the most-anticipated names on the London Fashion Week schedule, but Richard Quinn isn’t done surprising us just yet.
After staging a highly emotional showcase last season and showing an almost entirely all-black collection mere days after the death of Queen Elizabeth II, this season saw the London-based Central Saint Martins direct his focus towards the other end of the colour spectrum.
Capitalising on his ever-growing bridal business, which has welcomed a number of clients from all over the world in recent years, Quinn sent a queue of 16 models down his autumn/winter 2023 runway earlier this week in a vast array of varying wedding dress silhouettes clutching bouquets.
So where does this pioneering designer foresee the bridal aesthetic heading this year? Here are the six key wedding dress trends we took from the front row…
1. OPERA GLOVES
Kate Middleton’s pretty major opera glove moment on the red carpet at Sunday night’s BAFTAs may have caught you off guard, but for those with their finger on the fashion pulse there was nothing surprising about the look. After all, they’re one of the biggest trends of the season.
The night before, however, Richard Quinn took the look to new heights as he introduced them as a wedding dress alternative to the more traditional lace sleeve. Paired with a particularly sculptural, bustier-inspired gown, they provide a perfect nod to high-fashion without veering too far from the traditional bridal aesthetic.
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2. PEPLUM SUITING
Peplums are very much back, we hesitant to tell you. The millennials amongst us may not be thrilled at the prospect having made several faux pas with the trend first time around, but one quick look at the autumn/winter 2023 collections – particularly those by Quinn, Christopher Kane and Tove – should settle any anxieties.
Introducing the trend into a bridal market, Richard Quinn may have just ignited something of a pretty major movement (and may also have this particular bride-to-be re-thinking her own chosen design). Layering an exquisitely-detailed strapless silk top over a trouser of the same embroidered fabrication, this exaggerated peplum – which reaches mid-thigh – would be the perfect option for a super chic registry office wedding, where the bride could whip off the trousers for the evening party and wear the peplum top alone as a flared skater-style dress.