(Photography of Dean Quinn's BA collection backstage at the CSM BA 2009 show by Kasia Bobula)
You know it was bad form of me that I never wrote about Dean Quinn's starry BA show last year nor his turn as part of Vauxhall Fashion Scout's Ones to Watch. The thing is those strict lines of aligned beads placed on structured shirts have since been given much much lovin' that frankly, I had nothing more to say on the matter other than "The Quinn will do great things..." which I still believe. We can OMG! HEART HEART! over his work all we want but the key is whether he survives these early stages without the stepping stone of showing solo at fashion week. Plus I was also eager to see what he would do NEXT, after such a memorable BA collection.
I think Dean Quinn falls in the line of a certain type of designer that London breeds very well, namely from Central Saint Martins, who all hone in on a 'motif' be it metalware (David Koma) or trompe l'oeil graphic prints (Mary Katrantzou) and make it their own. For Dean, this is meticulous beading that thankfully is still present in the second collection which he's exhibiting at Vauxhall Fashion Scout. Except they're not rigid anymore and by clustering them in masses that look sort of like anemone or friendly hedgehogs (not spiky at all thanks to the teensy tiny round bead at the end of the beaded fronds), there's a movement to the pieces that means there's more to Quinn than just pristinely beautiful but untouchable work. The pleated skirts, the gathered tulle and zig zag stiching have also helped free up the beads so that these become shakeable pieces that will (confirmed big stockist for Quinn...) be hanging on a store rail.
