Mary Quant
Mary Quant was a pioneering British fashion designer, best known for popularizing the miniskirt and shaping the fashion landscape of the 1960s. Growing up in a family of Welsh schoolteachers, she developed a passion for clothing early on, often altering hand-me-downs to express her unique style. In 1955, Quant opened Bazaar, a boutique in London, where she began to sell her own designs after struggling to find suitable styles to stock. Her creations, characterized by a youthful and rebellious aesthetic, effectively defined the "Chelsea girl" look, which included accessories like colorful tights, high boots, and the iconic miniskirt.
Quant's influence extended beyond clothing; she also ventured into cosmetics, launching her own makeup line in 1966, a year when she was honored as an officer of the British Empire—the first female designer to receive such recognition. Throughout her career, her work made designer fashion more accessible to average-income women, significantly impacting the fashion industry. After a successful career, Quant continued her creative endeavors in household design before passing away in 2023 at the age of ninety-three. Her autobiography, "Quant by Quant," offers insights into her life and contributions to the fashion world.
Mary Quant
- Born: February 11, 1934
- Place of Birth: London, England
- Died: April 13, 2023
- Place of Death: Surrey, England
Creator of the miniskirt and recognized leader of the 1960s fashion world. British designer Quant’s affordable, distinct styles defined the “mod” clothing of the decade.
Early Life
The daughter of Welsh schoolteachers, Mary Quant was interested in clothing even as a young child and held definite opinions regarding fashion. Economy dictated that she must wear clothes passed down from a cousin, but she took them apart and made them over to suit her own sense of style. Quant has often said her sense of style was influenced by an older girl in her dance class who wore very short black skirts, white ankle socks over black tights, and black patent leather shoes with ankle straps. At age sixteen, while studying art on a scholarship at Goldsmith’s College in London, Quant met Alexander Plunket Greene, her future husband and business partner. In 1955, Quant, Greene, and partner Archie McNair opened Bazaar, a boutique selling unusual clothing and accessories on King’s Road in the Chelsea district of London.
The 1960s
Unable to find enough of the styles she wanted to feature in Bazaar, Quant began sewing her own designs for sale. She could not keep up with the demand for her products and soon employed a number of seamstresses who worked out of her small apartment. In those early days, she was so lacking in knowledge of retail and wholesale business practices that she bought her fabric from Harrod’s department store. The look she eventually made famous, often called the “Chelsea girl” look, included skinny, ribbed sweaters, hipster belts, colored tights, high boots, and most important, the miniskirt.
Mass production of Quant styles began in the early 1960s when U.S. retailer J. C. Penney, in an effort to update its somewhat staid and stodgy fashion image, contracted with Quant to supply it with four collections per year. A contract with Butterick Patterns soon followed. Quant began experimenting with makeup that would complement her clothes, and, in 1966, introduced the Mary Quant makeup line. That same year, the British government recognized her achievements by making her an officer of the British Empire. She was the first female designer to be so honored.
Later Life
In 1970, Quant gave birth to a son, Orlando, and in 1971, she closed Bazaar, which had by that time expanded to three London locations. The family moved to the country, and Quant began designing household items such as sheets and wall coverings while she continued to expand her cosmetics line. In 1990, she was named to the Hall of Fame of the British Fashion Council, and in 1994, at age sixty, she once again opened a London boutique, the Mary Quant Colour Shop. Quant died in 2023 at the age of ninety-three.
Impact
Mary Quant led the fashion segment of the 1960s “British invasion” of the United States. She designed clothes that rejected the status quo in a decade known for that sentiment. Her creations brought designer-label clothing out of the confines of haute couture and into the closets of young, average income women.
Additional Information
Quant by Quant, the designer’s 1965 autobiography, provides interesting details on the designer’s unconventional personal life and her rise in the fashion industry.