Supermodel Naomi Campbell opened Richard Quinn’s spring/summer 2026 show in London to a wave of enthusiastic fans.
Dressed in a black velvet column gown with a sculptural white collar and a single camellia at the chest, she set a steady tone for what followed: a collection rooted in Quinn’s flair for drama but increasingly conscious of the next stage of his brand.
Quinn, who first drew mass attention when the late Queen made a rare appearance at London Fashion Week to present him with the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design, has built his reputation on theatrical eveningwear and bold prints.
This season he didn’t deviate from that formula, but there was a sense of tightening and refinement. The set, accompanied by a live orchestra, underscored the formality without turning the runway into pure spectacle.
What came down the catwalk was recognisably Quinn: sweeping ball gowns, velvet cocktail dresses, off-the-shoulder silhouettes and – everywhere – the rosette.
Pinned at necklines or resting at the centre of giant bows, the motif unified the show. Long black gloves added punctuation, giving many of the looks a mid-century couture frame.
There was a careful use of colour – a palette unusual for a spring/summer collection – deep black and red grounded the first half of the collection, while blues, lilac and cream lifted it later on.
Some of the most effective pieces were those that held back a little: a pale blue rose-print gown with a softly ballooned skirt, or a lavender cape dress trailing a floral wisteria print. They allowed Quinn’s fabric skills to shine without competing with heavy structure.
Still, the more opulent looks were hard to ignore. A gold-embroidered nude gown, tightly fitted before flaring into a tulle hem, suggested a modern court dress.
Another combined a scarlet bodice with black tulle panels, cinched at the waist to dramatic effect. The construction was strong; these clothes aren’t simply designed to photograph well, they hold their shape and move properly on the body.
The question hanging over the collection was wearability. Quinn’s clothes have always been for events rather than everyday, but the sheer size of some of these pieces makes them difficult to imagine off the runway – or red carpet.
This tension between spectacle and practicality from a ready-to-wear collection matters because Quinn has spoken publicly about expanding his bridal business.
He already produces bespoke wedding gowns and has hinted that he wants bridal to be a serious arm of the label. In SS26, those ambitions were visible but not yet dominant.
Clean ivory fabrics, sweeping skirts and illusion panels nodded to bridal codes, and several looks could easily be re-imagined in that context.
It’s a sensible move. Bridalwear offers stability in a market that can be fickle. It also gives Quinn a chance to translate his dramatic cuts and floral signatures into a sector where customers expect spectacle. If SS26 is any guide, the designer is learning how to fold those ideas into his main line without losing coherence.
Opening with Campbell was a clever statement, aligning Quinn with the tradition of British fashion’s big names while underlining his own rising stature. The live orchestra and floral set built a frame for clothes that were less about chasing trends than about solidifying an aesthetic.
For admirers of high-impact eveningwear, this collection delivered.
Quinn is maturing his signatures, signalling future expansion and showing that London can still produce a designer willing to take up space – literally and figuratively – on the catwalk.
It was a show less about shock and more about consolidation, but with Campbell leading the charge, it didn’t lack impact.
