“She liberated women”: the creator of the miniskirt Mary Quant died 04.13.2023, 17:10

The “Mother of the Miniskirt” died peacefully at her home in Surrey this morning. In February, the legendary fashion designer celebrated her 93rd birthday. In a published statement, Mary’s relatives spoke about the designer’s role in the history of world fashion.

“Dame Mary, 93, was one of the most internationally recognized fashion designers of the 20th century and a leading innovator of the swinging 1960s. She opened her first bazaar store on Kings Road in 1955 and her visionary and creative talent quickly made a contribution to British fashion.

Mary is credited with creating the mini skirt and shorts that developed fashion style during this vibrant decade. Mary brought fun to fashion and London became defined by the freedom, energy and popular culture of the Chelsea Girls, the Quant family said. Alexandra Shulman, former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, paid tribute to Mary.

“She was one of the truly influential figures in fashion and defined how women thought about themselves. Her influence on fashion and women’s liberation cannot be underestimated. Her sleek, simple design was a million miles away from the uniforms and costumes worn by women in the 1950s. In addition to the short skirts, she wore low-heeled pumps instead of high-heeled pumps, and her clothes tempt you to act differently from the formality of the past,” Shulman elaborated.

The Blackheath fashion designer, the daughter of Welsh teachers, turned to design in the 1950s. Maria’s distinctive style began to flourish in a time of increased freedom. Her early boutique, Bazaar, sold dresses made on a bedside table.

The designer from south-east London said she “didn’t have time to wait for women’s freedom”. So she started a fashion revolution to save the girls of the 50s and 60s from having to dress like their mothers. Mary pushed hemlines to daring heights, pioneered baggy dresses and produced women’s trousers and pantyhose, and popularized the bob cut pioneered by her great friend Vidal Sassoon.

Loose sleeveless dresses, PVC capes, Peter Pan collars, tight ribbed sweaters, colorful tights and overalls were also among Mary’s revolutionary designs. Her cosmetics line, including, will be considered groundbreaking, as will her clothing.

“The Kings Road girls invented the mini. I made clothes that you could run and dance in and we made them the length the customer wanted. I wore them very short and buyers were like, ‘shorter, shorter,'” Kuant explained in 2014.

So far, the disputes about who invented the miniskirt – whether Quant or the French designer Andre Courrèges have not subsided. Despite this, extremely short skirts and loose dresses became Quant’s trademark.

Fashion designer husband Alexander Plunket Green died in 1990. She is survived by son Orlando, three grandchildren and brother Tony Quant, reports the Daily Mail.