V&A exhibition showcases work of Mary Quant, pioneering designer who really made the 60s swing
HER stitching put the swing into the swinging 60s as her raised hemlines raised eyebrows and set the decade on course for a fashion revolution.
Working from her shop on the corner of King’s Road in Chelsea, Mary Quant gave the world the miniskirt and inspired a generation of women to rebel against the traditional clothing worn by their mothers and grandmothers.
Now the first international retrospective on the iconic British designer is to be staged in Scotland, as V&A Dundee celebrates the career of the designer who did so much to create the iconic looks of the 1960s.
Mary Quant opened her shop Bazaar in 1955, and began selling colourful designs which were a reaction against the austerity and drabness of post-war London. Soon she moved on to design her own clothes, and her range of affordable quality designer fashion took off on the back of its appeal to young women and teenagers.
Quant was also ahead of her time when it came to branding, with her dressmaking patterns, make-up and accessories all showcasing her iconic daisy logo.
Her designs were also showcased by increasingly sophisticated marketing, with Twiggy – a celebrity in her own right – often picked to model the clothes.
The exhibition explores the years between 1955 and 1975 when Quant captured the spirit of the 1960s and utilised mass production techniques to create a new look for women.
Key objects featured within the exhibition include the pioneering ‘Wet Collection’ PVC rainwear, a jute miniskirt, and designs that playfully subverted menswear at a time when women were still banned from wearing trousers in formal settings such as restaurants.
The exhibition will also feature the stories of women who made outfits from Mary Quant’s dressmaking patterns, gathered through V&A Dundee’s #Sewquant campaign, as well as a new film looking at contemporary female designers.
Sophie Mckinlay, director of programme at V&A Dundee, said: “Mary Quant is a pioneering designer who achieved so much, from capturing the spirit of change in the 1960s, to empowering women to wear clothes that looked good and felt good, to creating a powerful brand that encompassed everything from footwear to homeware.
“This is the perfect choice for our first major fashion exhibition.”
The exhibition opens on April 4.