Richard Quinn on his AI-fuelled retro-futuristic collection with Max&Co

The British designer discusses his love for embracing new technologies and his fascination with florals

Richard Quinn is one of London's most exciting young designers. Photo: Max&Co

As one of London’s most distinctive designers, Richard Quinn is well known for his love of exuberant florals. They have become something of a signature since launching his eponymous brand in 2016.

His decadent blooms helped earn him the inaugural Queen Elizabeth II Award for British Design in 2018 and led to the extraordinary sight of having the late British monarch sitting in the front row at his show that same year. It was the only time she attended a fashion show, and it put Quinn on the global map: a fact that is not lost on the designer. “I have huge admiration for the late queen – to have the honour of her presence at one of my first shows was truly unbelievable.”

When he collaborated with cosmetics brand Mac last year, he turned to flowers for the packaging, just as he did for the denim looks he created with Tommy Hilfiger for autumn 2022. Now, for his latest tie-up with the Italian house of Max&Co, called The &Co.llaboration – MAi, he has once again put flowers front and centre.

Having honed his craft at Christian Dior and on Savile Row, Quinn is best known for decadent womenswear that leans towards beautiful theatricality, made from unexpected materials and in daring, evocative shapes. The Max&Co client, meanwhile, is youthful and fashion-conscious, making this a perfect pairing for the woman looking to present her wilder side.

“I have always admired Italian brands with a rich heritage and archive” explains Quinn. He first met Giorgio Guidotti, vice president, PR and communication for Max Mara (Max&Co’s big sister), when in the British Fashion Council's London Showrooms in Paris in 2018. “A few years later, when they reached out to discuss a potential capsule collection, I agreed,” he adds. For this project, Quinn travelled to the company headquarters in Reggio Emilia to immerse himself in the company universe and work alongside its talented team.

“We worked collaboratively,” he explains. “Visiting their archive and offices was a great experience”. Quinn unearthed plenty of inspiration in annals he describes as being “rich in history”. He also witnessed his ideas transformed from 2D sketches into the physical realm. “The fabrications were developed and manufactured there,” he explains. “It was a great experience to see this come to life.”

The result is a perfect blend of the bold silhouettes of Richard Quinn and the youthful energy of Max&Co, as told through a capsule of about 30 pieces, ranging from polo neck tops to faux fur swing jackets. Being Quinn however, things are anything but predictable, so now a daisy-patterned long-sleeve polo neck has matching elbow gloves and flared trousers that are made in technical, two-way stretch twill. A black, pleat-fronted cape dress is scattered with handfuls of small yellow roses, while an A-line collared dress is covered in white daisies on a checked green and black background. Another look is a collared, glossy patent coat dress.

“It was a wonderful challenge to create the perfect blend between the two brands while adding a fresh touch to the collection,” Quinn says. His use of flowers across the capsule varies from a graphic, five-petal daisy – rendered in white or black – to large roses with stems and leaves, in powder pink or lemon yellow. Upending the traditional, the rose appears across a knitted jumper dress, stretch leggings, and a hooded, reversible puffer coat that reaches almost to the ankles.

“Flowers are often a symbol of joy, love, beauty, courage and purity, linking them with women who like to incorporate this within their clothing,” says Quinn. “In particular, the yellow rose print is a favourite, a bold colour against the black base fabric. Yellow is a joyful hue and it can be worn with a futuristic edge or in a more romantic style.”

Described as a “crossover between the glamour of ’60s sci-fi films and a futuristic aesthetic shaped by artificial intelligence,” the collection is a deft mix of modern cuts and retro patterns that feels charmingly space-age, yet is entirely of the moment. “I think people have always been fascinated by the future,” says Quinn.

“It’s human nature to imagine what the unknown might look like. The collection references the futuristic fashion of the ’60s and ’70s through the lens of modern technology. It’s interesting to compare those past projections with the reality that we live in now. Nobody can imagine what the future will look like.”

Fittingly, the accompanying imagery has all been created using artificial intelligence, which has “models” standing in otherworldly places where giant flowers grow inside spaceships, plants look like coral and the air is filled with bubbles. It feels joyful, and a far cry from the doom-mongers who insist artificial intelligence is the end of humanity.

“I believe the idea of AI is quite enigmatic – it blurs the boundary between what is real and what is not,” says Quinn. “This kind of disembodied, intangible idea is something we wanted to convey in the collection so the wearer can be whoever they want to be.”