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.
Planning a wedding (or attending several) in 2023?
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…
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.
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.
When you first start looking for your wedding dress you likely consider three major things: silhouette, fabric and detail. While the first two are usually decided on quite quickly (you probably find yourself leaning towards a shape and texture within the first or second appointment), the latter can be a little harder to narrow down.
What is common, however, is that those with a more detailed dress will go for a plain veil, and those with a simpler dress often steer towards some veil embroidery. Naturally Richard Quinn is ripping up that rulebook, and making a convincing case for more is more. And providing the detail is mirrored - i.e. the veil embroidery mimics that of the dress - we're sold.
When it comes to selecting a wedding look, brides-to-be will know that while much fuss is made about choosing the ‘perfect wedding shoe’, there's very little chance anyone will see it. With the majority of wedding dressed grazing the floor, the shoe itself gets very little in the way of air time. Unless, of course, you're re-writing the rules and opting for a bang-on-trend midaxi.
With the hemline of this style hitting the ankle bone, the shoe in fact becomes a pretty major part of the ensemble. Naturally, therefore, so does your foot, and if Richard Quinn has anything to do with it you'll decorate said foot in a pair of embroidered sheer white tights. Effortlessly elegant, they're a very easy way to add a high-fashion edge to your look without encouraging too many raised eyebrows from your more traditionalist guests.
Many brides over the years have fallen for the allure of a pocket. Providing somewhere to put your hands when you're feeling a little awkward - not to mention an emergency tear-catching tissue - they're one of the most practical elements you can introduce to your wedding dress design.
So often, though, the inclusion of the pocket interferes with the flow of the dress. Either the slinky silhouette is disrupted by the sudden bulge of fabric, or the more voluminous silk skirts are spoiled by a very obvious slit at each hip. With Quinn's intricate lace, however, said slit is disguised amongst the volume and amidst the texture, providing the perfectly hidden touch of practicality.
Gone are the days of putting your bridesmaids in matching pastel chiffon with a satin ribboned waistband. With more and more options arising for bridesmaid dresses - we've seen everything from mis-matched prints to individual necklines, vague colour schemes and even ‘wear whatever you want’ over the last year - it seems it's becoming an entirely personal, and far more creative, decision for the bride as to what her bridesmaids wear.
Of course, if you're a high-fashion bride with an eye for detail and are feeling particularly generous, it'll be Quinn's latest matching minis. Bursting with embellishment and similar enough to be seen as a pair with enough subtle variation to avoid your bridesmaids looking like clones, the mini-length hemline is super contemporary while the sheer hosiery avoids anything feeling too risqué.
From oval shapes to chunky gold silhouettes.
Read more about this season's autumn/winter 2023 highlights, from show reviews to trends, sustainable initiatives and street style highlights.
For more from Glamour UK's Fashion Editor Charlie Teather, follow her on Instagram @charlieteather.
