A skirt cut will never abolish patriarchy. Can we therefore read a feminist gesture in the shortening of the hem of Mary Quant’s women’s skirts? This is the question we can ask ourselves when The world just announced the disappearance of the British designer, on April 13, 2023, at the age of 93, in England.
If the paternity or maternity of the miniskirt is disputed between the French designers Lucien David Langman, André Courrèges and Mary Quant, it is to the latter that we owe its popularization in the 60s.
Who was Mary Quant, the designer so associated with the miniskirt?
Born in London on 11 February 1930 to teacher parents, Mary Quant studied illustration and met her future husband, Alexander Plunket Greene, while at university. With the help of a third acolyte, in 1955 they opened their first shop, Bazaar, on the famous shopping street of King’s Road: first selling jewelery purchased from art students and hats designed by her, before starting to create clothes, including mini-skirts of 1962 exploded a few years later. So much so that the American JC Penney chain of stores entrusted her with their collections for eleven years, making the miniskirt even more popular.
In addition to the miniskirt, Mary Quant is also known for successfully launching strong color makeup, so swinging London. In 2000, after years of success in fashion and beauty, she retired and sold her brand to a Japanese group that still produces makeup under her name today. In 2015 she was decorated ” Lady of the British Empire Between 2019 and 2020 the Victoria and Albert Museum dedicated a retrospective exhibition to him.
Her family announced that she passed away “peacefully” on April 13, 2023.
Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
