V&A pins hopes on middle-aged women’s wardrobes as it launches appeal for King’s Road classics

1 Rare and early one-off designs sold between 1955 and 1960 in Mary Quant’s renowned Bazaar boutiques. Located in Chelsea, Knightsbridge and Bond Street, London, the boutiques were famed for their eccentric window displays and irreverent, “club-like” atmosphere with music playing.

2 Early experimental garments in PVC, especially from Quant’s ‘Wet’ collection, unveiled in 1963, when the material was still a work-in-progress.

31964 Seminal styles from and 1965 with Peter Pan collars.

4 Mary Quant knitwear, swimwear and accessories.

5 Previously the preserve of the rich and beautiful, Mary Quant designs became accessible to the general public in the form of paper patterns launched by US firm Butterick in 1964. For the first time, thousands of home dressmakers on a budget could wear Quant’s designs.