Mary Quant: fashion icon

Mary Quant was a fashion designer from Britain. She designed the mini skirt in the 1960s. She died in April. Now, there's an exhibition in Glasgow, Scotland. It shows Quant's work.

Heather Tilbury Phillips worked with Quant.

Heather Tilbury Phillips: "I think this exhibition is the most wonderful tribute to Mary's farsightedness, her enthusiasm, her creativity and her wish that people achieve their their essence in life."

For lots of people, Quant's clothes 'are' the 1960s. Things started to change at that time. The second world war was in the past. The 1960s was a time for teenagers. Quant let young people wear different clothes. Before then, they looked like their parents.

Heather Tilbury Phillips: "I think she introduced such a revolutionary attitude to clothes, that garments that the young could run, jump, leap onto a bus, go dancing."

Quant designed short skirts and dresses. She used fresh colours and designs. And she used new material for her clothes. Rebecca Quinton is from Glasgow Museums.

Rebecca Quinton: But there's also modern materials. We're used to them now. But this is at the beginning of nylon, lycra, PVC coming in, and she made use of all these new technologies and materials to do new things – stretch fabrics, waterproof fabrics."

The exhibition's on a world tour. Glasgow is the last stop. The exhibition will finish in Autumn 2023. Quinton hopes young designers will go to the show.

Rebecca Quinton: "So it's a wonderful opportunity for everybody to either come and reminisce or be inspired to be the next generation of designers, whether they're interested in fashion or product design, to come and see one of the most revolutionary fashion designers of the 20th century." Weniger anzeigen