Mary Quant is a British fashion icon and a Welsh fashion designer who is credited with popularizing the miniskirt and hot pants. During the 1960s, she was a key role in the London-based Mod and youth fashion movements, promoting playful styles and encouraging individuals to dress for themselves rather than complying to traditional conventions. Quant, widely credited as the creator of the miniskirt, one of the most iconic 1960s trends, saw the shorter of the skirt as a practical and liberating development for women. She was born in 1934 to Welsh teachers and grew up during World War II. She was too young to understand the gravity of the war, but she did enjoy the wartime activities since she was a daring young lady. Her progressive parents pushed her to pursue a career path and urged her to select a solid vocation. Mary, on the other hand, had made up her mind to pursue a career in illustration, which her parents grudgingly consented to. She formed a company with Alexander Plunket Greene, whom she subsequently married, after finishing her studies. She pushed playful fashion clothing that was hugely popular with the younger generation, and she became a British fashion star within a few years. She’s also the author of ‘Quant by Quant,’ ‘Colour by Quant,’ and ‘Quant on Make-up,’ among other works.
Childhood and Adolescence
Barbara Mary Quant was born in Blackheath, London, on February 11, 1934, to Jack and Mary Quant. Her parents were both Welsh teachers with mining backgrounds. They were well-educated progressives who thought that young women should excel academically and professionally.
Her family traveled about a lot during World War II, so she grew up in a lot of different places. She was too little to comprehend the gravity of the war at the time, but she relished the experiences it provided, frequently examining fallen planes and rummaging through the wreckage.
Due to the conflict, her early education was haphazard. Later, she attended Blackheath High School. She acquired a love for sewing at an early age and recognized she had a natural sense of fashion, thanks to her creative mind and artistic ability.
Mary’s parents urged her to select a secure job path, but she was enthusiastic about following a creative one. Her parents grudgingly agreed to let her pursue illustration when she won a scholarship to Goldsmiths College. She received a Diploma in Art Education in the end.
Career of Mary Quant
Mary Quant began her career as an apprentice at Erik, a high-end Mayfair milliner on Brook Street, just across the street from Claridge’s hotel. She was paid a little and couldn’t afford to eat properly. To start her own firm, she teamed up with a former classmate Alexander Plunket Greene and a friend Archie McNair. They opened the Bazaar boutique. She pushed a vibrant and feisty type of dress that would appeal to teenagers as a creative young woman.
She was constantly on the hunt for fresh and intriguing outfits for the store, and she eventually began developing her own line. Her company prospered, and she married her business partner Alexander.
Short skirts, creative dresses, vivid tights, flexible leggings, and T-shirts were the most popular goods in the shop. Quant is recognized with popularizing the miniskirt, which was a defining fashion trend in the 1960s. She was a trendy young girl who wore short skirts, prompting her customers to want even shorter skirts, which became known as miniskirts.
Colored and patterned tights, worn with the miniskirt, were another item that Quant promoted. Some credit her with inventing the dress, while others claim she just popularized a design credited to Cristóbal Balenciaga of Spain. Her works were eventually sold all over the world in nations such as the United States, France, Italy, Switzerland, Kenya, Australia, Canada, and South Africa, among others. She’d also expanded her business to include a line of cosmetics and other fashion items at this point.
Quant changed the way women dressed in the late 1960s, popularizing hot pants—extremely short shorts for women made of luxurious fabrics like velvet and silk that were youthful, playful, and seductive all at once. Her fashion line’s great success spurred her to extend her business, and in the 1970s and 1980s, she also ventured into household items and cosmetics. Quant created the interior design for the Mini (1000) Designer in 1988.
Her cosmetics firm, Mary Quant Ltd., was most well-known in Japan, despite her international fame. After a Japanese buy-out, she resigned as the company’s director in 2000. ‘Quant by Quant’ (1966), ‘Colour by Quant’ (1984), ‘Quant on Make-up’ (1986), and ‘Classic Make-up and Beauty Book’ are only a few of Mary Quant’s publications (1999).
Major Projects of Mary Quant
Mary Quant is a well-known supporter of the miniskirt, an extremely short skirt with a length that is far above the knees. Although it is debatable if she invented the garment, she is credited with making the miniskirt highly fashionable in the 1960s. She also popularized the hot pants, which are ultra-short women’s shorts made of luxurious fabrics like velvet and silk.
Achievements & Awards
Mary Quant was the first woman to win the Dress of the Year award in 1963. In 1966, she was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her remarkable contributions to the fashion industry. She received the British Fashion Council’s Hall of Fame Award in 1990. She was named Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire (DBE) for contributions to British fashion in the 2015 New Year Honors.
Personal History and Legacy
In 1953, she met Alexander Plunket Greene, her future husband, at Goldsmiths College. They married in 1957 and had a son together. Their marriage was pleasant and lasted till Alexander’s death in 1990.
Estimated Net Worth
Mary is one of the wealthiest fashion designers and one of the most well-known. Mary Quant’s net worth is estimated to be $22 million, according to Wikipedia, Forbes, and Business Insider.