The royal family's favorite designer, Richard Quinn, presented a feminine and romantic Fall/Winter 2024 collection at London Fashion Week.
The curved catwalk that surrounded the vast 1901 Ballroom at the Andaz London was decorated with huge bouquets of pink and white roses and floral-themed drapes.
A live band, including a string quartet and a pianist, quickly put guests in a trance from the start of the show.
The London-based fashion designer incorporated vintage-inspired bridal gowns that accentuated curves and accentuated long limbs - akin to high society elegance.
Quinn was inspired by the late Queen Elizabeth II and other members of the royal family. She made a surprise front row appearance at his show in 2018, alongside American Vogue editor Anna Wintour, and presented him with a special Royal Design Award.
Quinn dedicated his spring/summer 2023 collection to the monarch because Elizabeth had touched him "with her grace and kindness".
Each piece in the new collection is "designed to last" and is "engineered with the future in mind."
The review notes say: "Not caring about the hype, the clothes exist to be cherished and passed down from mother to daughter for days to come. From the inner structures to the outer fabrics, these clothes focus on shape, volume and craftsmanship, highlighting the art of fashion design."
Some of the designs came in white and black versions - both equally breathtaking - including an off-the-shoulder A-line dress that featured huge roses on the bustier and long sleeves. The dress has pockets in its embellished, structured lower half.
Another example was a flapper fringe jumpsuit with sheer elements and a Tudor-inspired pleated collar.
Also featured was a classic white dress with a traditional wedding veil and a black dress with a criss-cross front and ribbon waist.
Backstage, Terry Barber, global creative director of make-up at MAC Cosmetics and lead artist on the show, told The Independent that he was inspired by the 1980s, the Victorian era, "mannequin skin" and the way looked like some of the characters in the 1983 film The Hunger.
Most models wore MAC's retro matte red lipstick in Feels So Grand.
"I wanted the lips to have a tight shape," Barber explained. "We kept them quite straight, tight and structured. So they just look ultra-chic, the way Yves Saint Laurent models looked back in the day.
"We didn't do anything special on the skin. We used a lot of powder, a bit of concealer and foundation all over the face, including the lids and underneath to make the eyes look almost faded, very Victorian, paired with the red lips. We also used MAC pearl blush on top and pearl highlighter.
Some of the models' hair was in vintage French rollers, which hairstylist Sam McKnight also admitted was inspired by Yves Saint Laurent's designs from the late 1970s and early 1980s.
"These are high-shine hairstyles styled with Sam McKnight products, including the Love Me Do Shine Nourishing Oil," said McKnight, the show's lead hairstylist. /BGNES
Richard Quinn recalled the glamor of the Victorian era in London
