Mary Quant, the fashion queen of Britain’s Swinging Sixties who popularised the miniskirt, died on Thursday, April 13, at the age of 93, her family has announced.
She “died peacefully at home in Surrey, UK, this morning”, the family announced in a statement.
She was “one of the most internationally recognised fashion designers of the 20th century and an outstanding innovator”, according to the statement.
Quant will be remembered as one of the most innovative designers in British history.
She changed women’s fashion forever with her vision of chic clothes that provided both comfort and practicality.
Miniskirts, shift dresses and PVC are three fashion staples that Dame Mary Quant gets credit for.
Well known much for her iconic bob hairstyle as for her designs, Quant also created hot pants, the skinny rib sweater, and waterproof mascara.
As a self-taught designer, she gained her sewing skills from evening classes and would produce clothes that would then go straight on the rails at Bazaar, a boutique she opened in Markham House on the Chelsea’s King’s Road in 1955.
She’d take the money she made from a day on the shop floor and use it to produce new lines that would be made overnight and stocked the next day.
Her aesthetic was influenced by the dancers and musicians who hung around in London’s Chelsea in the late 1950s.
She wanted those who wore her clothes to feel relaxed in them. Rather than outfits for big occasions, her clothes were designed for everyday life.