When discussing yesterday’s movie with Chris of Bridges Burning, my alter ego on this blog, I was surprised/amazed to hear that she had no idea who Mary Quant was/is.

In 1955 when her first shop Bazaar was opened in Kings Road Chelsea, I was a schoolgirl longing to have access to money to buy my own clothes, particularly a Mary Quant dress. That had to wait until the next year when I was working and had my own money.

“The serendipitous synchronicity of a name shared by the shop and Harper’s Bazaar emerged just ahead of the opening of Quant’s Bazaar. In its September 1955 issue, this magazine became the first publication to feature a Quant editorial, printing a photograph of a sleeveless daytime tunic worn over culotte trousers, captioned “big penny spots on smart tan pyjamas, 4 guineas, from Bazaar, a new boutique”. Although Quant (sic)described her spotty pyjamas as ‘mad’, Bazaar, with its uniquely agile finger on the social pulse, was alert to her potential.
In 1957, her second shop opened in Knightsbridge; in 1962 she agreed a deal with the American chain store JC Penney; in 1963 she launched her cheaper wholesale line the Ginger Group; and in 1966, her divinely packaged makeup, jewellery and coloured tights hit the stores. But it was the arrival of her miniskirt in 1965 – ‘so short,’ she said, ‘that you could move, run, catch a bus, dance’ – that ensured Quant’s position as the most sought-after label for every fashionable female.”
But back to the movie. Suddenly watching this, I was transported back to the ‘swinging sixties’. The Beatles, the Rolling Stones, The Byrds et al all were part of my growing up and the early years as a young bride.
The movie blurb reads “The first official feature documentary celebrating the incredible life of one of the most influential icons of the 20th Century, fashion designer Dame Mary Quant. Featuring contributions from Kate Moss, Vivienne Westwood, Edward Enninful, Dave Davies, Charlotte Tilbury, Jasper Conran and Zandra Rhodes as well as Mary’s family and peers.”
it follows her life through childhood in London with holiday visits to Pembrokeshire, to meeting the charismatic, Alexander Penrose-Greene at Goldsmith’s College in London, early moves into and through to her rise in the fashion industry, marriage to Alexander (who coincidentally was five years her junior: a secret kept out of the public eye), to the birth of her son, Orlando and her private life. Alexander died at the age of 56 in 1990.
Much has been written about her and the amazing and rapid rise of her fashions, clothes, makeup and accessories. The name lives on and with it my memories of those dresses worn with delight, following the recently finished Second World War and bought with my own money.
Now my question to my followers – Do you know who Mary Quant is.
She is now Dame Mary, 92 years old and lives a quiet life between homes in Surrey and Grasse. She is a non-executive director of the House of Fraser group.
“Risk it, go for it. Life always gives you another chance,
another go at it. It’s very important to take enormous risks.”
Mary Quant, British fashion designer
1929 –

where it’s still raining.
August 11, 2022
Reblogged this on I choose how I will spend the rest of my life.
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To answer your question, yes, I do know Mary Quant! I was too young for her clothes, didn’t know they were even at JC Pennys! Such a great story, thank you!
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I remember saving and buying my first Quant dress. The joy of both paying for something with my earned money and wearing this dress.
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Do you have any pics OR do you still have the dress???
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Unfortunately, as we have travelled around the world three times in between moving houses in three countries, I have lost the photos and the dress is long gone.
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great advice —
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Of course, I knew of Mary Quant. She was as much part of the 1960s as the Beatles and Twiggy. As a teenager growing up on the Canadian prairies, I adored her fashions and bought a Mary Quant pattern so I could make one of her dresses. I loved everything British at the time, no surprise I married a British fellow (also 5 years younger than me) I must see this movie.
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She was so much part of life then. She featured n newspapers almost daily. She was a breath of fresh air at the time.
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I too remember Mary Quant. I loved her jolly clothes and embraced the miniskirt with glee. I was one of the few girls my age whose parents actually loved all the fashion. But a couple of years ago I went to her eponymous exhibition at the Victoria and Albert museum and was really disappointed to see a lot of the originals in close up. I’d forgotten how heavy the originals were – in comparison to clothes today which are much flimsier – and the colours were not as vibrant as we now imagine. But they did hang well !
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Oh, dear. Do our memories let us down when compared to the real thing? I remember the joy at buying my first Quant dress having saved up from my meagre earnings.
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So very interesting.
Wow.
92!!!
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Reblogged on Bridgesburning!
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I had not heard of Mary Quant before, but her story sounds fascinating. Is the film in the theater or streaming?
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She was such an icon and a true part of the time. I followed through school years and then, joy oh joy, I saved enough from my meagre earnings as a bank clerk to actually buy a Quant dress She was everywhere.
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Very cool 😎 👗
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I do not know of her. But I love a life story!
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She was so much part of our lives. As young girls, we followed her progress into the fashion world, largely dominated by men then. I remember the excitement when I had saved enough from my salary as a bank clerk, to buy my first Quant dress.
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I love this connection Judith. I’ve never been connected to fashion. But I love how lives intertwine.
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And isn’t it great how we can be in touch when we are so far away. I love my friends in the blogging world
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YES! 🙂 I feel the same way.
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I remember Mary Quant, though I never thought of her still being alive. I associated her with Twiggy wearing Mary Quant dresses and I either had a “knock-off” Mary Quant dress or I sewed one of her designs.
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Ah, Mary Quant. How the movie with its music and bright young things, took me back in time. A lifetime ago.
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Yes…I knew who she was at a base level, but not many details
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Mary Quant was such a fashion icon. I forget how old I am and was delighted to be transported back so many years.
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So pleased to hear that she’s still alive and kicking! I loved everything she did!
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Of course, you did, Cat as did I. The colours, the sheer cheek in cutting the hems on those stunning dresses. Truly a light in that world still overcast by shadows of the war.
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