Who was Dame Mary Quant and what was she famous for?
THE FASHION world is mourning the death of designer Dame Mary Quant.
The icon – who will forever be remembered invented the miniskirt – has sadly passed away aged 93.
Hulton Archive – GettyMary Quant was a trendsetting designer at the height of the Swinging Sixties[/caption]
Who was Dame Mary Quant?
Born in London on February 11, 1930 Dame Mary Quant was a designer and fashion icon.
The daughter of Welsh teachers Jack and Mildred Quant, a young Mary studied illustration at Goldsmiths College, then became an apprentice milliner in Mayfair.
She switched to fashion design and in 1955 she opened her first shop, Bazaar, on London’s Kings Road.
Rebelling against dreary Fifties styles, she sold “clothes that had nothing to do with our mothers”.
Why was Mary Quant a Dame?
Mary was given the honour of becoming a Dame by the late Queen in 2015.
She was appointed Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) in the New Year Honours that year for services to British fashion.
After this she was appointed Member of the Order of the Companions of Honour (CH) in the 2023 New Year Honours for services to fashion.
What was Dame Mary Quant famous for?
Designer Mary’s bright, skimpy clothing sent shockwaves through the nation in the 60s.
Her slick Vidal Sassoon hair do was the “It” haircut of the day and was copied by millions.
But Mary was most known for her miniskirts, hot pants and boldly coloured tights, with her design motto being: “Be yourself, free yourself.”
When did Dame Mary Quant pass away?
On April 13, 2023, Dame Mary’s family announced she had passed away at the age of 93.
A statement said she “died peacefully at home in Surrey, UK this morning”.
It continued: “Dame Mary, aged 93, was one of the most internationally recognised Fashion Designers of the 20th Century and an outstanding innovator of the Swinging Sixties.”
Tributes are now rolling in for the fashion queen.
Alexandra Shulman, former editor in chief of British Vogue, today said: “She was one of the truly influential figures in fashion and defined the way women thought about themselves.
“Her influence on both fashion and women’s liberation cannot be underestimated. Her sleek, simple designs were a million miles from the kinds of shapes and costumes women were wearing in the 1950s.
“As well as short skirts, she had low-heeled pumps rather than high heels and her clothes entice you to behave in a different way after the formality of the past.
“Her clothes reflect the way the social changes of the 1960s, with young women taking the pill and working more.
“She was also one of the first designers who realised she was able to roll out a make-up brand.”
