Twiggy and fashion designer Esme Young are among the famous faces to remember fashion designer Dame Mary Quant as a ‘trailblazer’ and ‘revolutionary’ who changed the look of the 1960s.
The British fashion designer, widely credited with popularising the mini-skirt, died on Thursday morning aged 93, her family said.
Dame Mary’s clothes were endorsed by famous faces including model Jean Shrimpton, photographer and model Pattie Boyd, Cilla Black and Twiggy, with the latter, whose real name is Dame Lesley Lawson, remembering her as a ‘brilliant female entrepreneur’.
Alongside a black-and-white photo of Dame Mary which she posted on her Instagram, Dame Twiggy wrote: ‘Mary Quant was such an influence on young girls in the late 50s early 60s.
‘She revolutionised fashion and was a brilliant female entrepreneur.
“The 1960s would have never been the same without her. Condolences to her family, RIP dear Dame Mary.’
Boyd, meanwhile, called Dame Mary a ‘true icon’.
She recalled on Twitter how Dame Mary made her and her former husband George Harrison’s wedding coats, sharing an image from the ceremony in 1966 which shows her and the Beatles star donning the fur coats.
She wrote: ‘Very sad news today to learn of the passing of the 60s daringly creative, fun genius, much-loved lady, Dame Mary Quant.
‘Mary insisted on making George’s and my wedding coats in 1966; his, Black Mongolian Fur and mine, Red Fox. A true icon. RIP.’
Fashion designer and TV presenter Young, 74, told the PA news agency: ‘She designed things for the women who wanted to wear them and she was a big influence on a lot of designers – a really big influence.’
She added: ‘I absolutely think she did liberate women. She put it out there and we were all influenced by that.
Born in south-east London on February 11, 1930, Dame Mary was the daughter of two Welsh school teachers.
She gained a diploma in the 1950s in Art Education at Goldsmith’s College, where she met her husband Alexander Plunket Greene, who later helped establish her brand, he died in 1990. The designer is survived by her son Orlando, three grandchildren and her brother Tony Quant.
A statement from the family said: ‘Dame Mary Quant died peacefully at home in Surrey, UK, this morning.
‘Dame Mary, aged 93, was one of the most internationally recognised fashion designers of the 20th century and an outstanding innovator of the Swinging Sixties.’
Following the news, fellow designer Sir Paul Smith said: ‘I’m very sad to hear about the passing of Mary Quant, she was a brave innovator who was constantly modern, willing to shock and blessed with a business and personal partner, Plunket Greene, who could help turn her ideas into reality.’
Alexandra Shulman, former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, also described the designer as a ‘visionary’.
Dame Mary was taken on as an apprentice to a milliner before making her own clothes and in 1955 opened Bazaar, a boutique on the King’s Road in Chelsea.
Her far-sighted and creative talents quickly established a unique contribution to British fashion.
She was one of the most influential figures in the fashion scene of the 1960s and is credited with making fashion accessible to the masses with her sleek, streamlined and vibrant designs.
Among her collection, she is arguably best known for conceiving the mini-skirt as well as helping to develop the mod style in the 1960s.
Dame Mary also revolutionised the high street with hot pants, and trousers for women, as well as accessories, tights and make-up, while using the daisy brand design that became synonymous with her creations.
She was made a dame for services to British fashion in the 2015 Queen’s New Year list and was appointed a member of the Order of the Companions of Honour in the most recent New Year Honours list.
She was also awarded the prestigious Hall of Fame Award by the British Fashion Council for her contribution to British fashion in 1990.
In 2021, actress and film producer Sadie Frost created a fashion documentary about Dame Mary called Quant.
Contributions to the biographical film came from prominent figures in the world of fashion such as supermodel Kate Moss, designer Dame Vivienne Westwood, beauty entrepreneur and make-up artist Charlotte Tilbury, designer Jasper Conran and designer Dame Zandra Rhodes.
A Victoria & Albert Museum exhibition documenting the first 20 years of her career from 1955 to 1975 is set to open in Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Art Gallery And Museum next month following an international tour which included Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan and Japan and runs in London in 2019 and Dundee in 2020.
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