Richard Quinn's SS24 show was heart-breaking and beautiful

He dedicated his show to his late father

Richard Quinn
(Image credit: Getty Images)

One show made our Editor-in-Chief Andrea Thompson cry this London Fashion Week: it was Richard Quinn's.

The designer's spring/summer 24 collection was inspired by his late father Patrick James Quinn, and how you can find calm and beauty in a moment of profound sadness.

The show, set in one of London's grandest ballrooms, the Grade II-listed 1901 Ballroom at the Andaz Hotel, featured Quinn's family in the audience. It started off with an Irish dance performed by dancers in black tulle gowns - both Richard's parents are Irish.

Then came the gorgeous gowns, each more beautifully crafted than the next. There were tulle gowns embroidered with delicate flowers, as well as column dresses embellished with Swarovski crystals that caught the light. Sheer cage dresses that mesmerised through their construction. 

This being Richard Quinn, there were of course some pops of colour: a ruffled red gown here, a bold yellow floral print there, but this collection was definitely more muted than usual, favouring monochrome hues and delicate pastels.

The show closed with 00s model Jessica Stam, in a fabulous beaded jumpsuit adorned with a bridal cape. 

A breath-taking homage that resulted in a standing ovation. It was worth nothing less.

Penny Goldstone

Penny Goldstone is the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire, covering everything from catwalk trends to royal fashion and the latest high street and Instagram must-haves.

Penny grew up in France and studied languages and law at the Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris before moving to the UK for her MA in multimedia journalism at Bournemouth University. She moved to the UK permanently and has never looked back (though she does go back regularly to stock up on cheese and wine).

Although she's always loved fashion - she used to create scrapbooks of her favourite trends and looks, including Sienna Miller and Kate Moss' boho phase - her first job was at MoneySavingExpert.com, sourcing the best deals for everything from restaurants to designer sales.

However she quit after two years to follow her true passion, fashion journalism, and after many years of internships and freelance stints at magazines including Red, Cosmopolitan, Stylist and Good Housekeeping, landed her dream job as the Digital Fashion Editor at Marie Claire UK.

Her favourite part of the job is discovering new brands and meeting designers, and travelling the world to attend events and fashion shows. Seeing her first Chanel runway IRL at Paris Fashion Week was a true pinch-me moment.