Twiggy leads tributes to Dame Mary Quant
Dame Mary Quant has died “peacefully at home in Surrey” at the age of 93.
Her family confirmed the news, with tributes pouring in from around the world, led by model Twiggy Lawson.
“Dame Mary Quant died peacefully at home in Surrey, UK, this morning,” the statement from her family read.
“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.
“She opened her first shop Bazaar in the Kings Road in 1955 and her far sighted and creative talents quickly established a unique contribution to British fashion.”
While Dame Mary’s contributions are numerous, the one she is perhaps best known for is her work in inventing - and popularising - the iconic miniskirt, a staple piece that played a major part in defining the Swinging ‘60s.
As model Twiggy, an icon of the times, wrote on social media that Dame Mary “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”.
“A true influencer,” make-up artist Sandy Linter agreed, while comments poured in thanking Twiggy and Dame Mary for their contributions to the world of style, with many fans noting that the pair had been the main influence on their own fashion journeys.
It was a similar scene when fellow model Pattie Boyd paid tribute, writing that it was “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.”
Like Twiggy, Pattie was a model in the ‘60s, and made leaps and bounds in popularising Dame Mary’s clothing - alongside the likes of Jean Shrimpton and Cilla Black.
And it has said that Dame Mary’s working relationship with Twiggy helped propel the signature ‘Chelsea Look’ to historic heights - with shop Bazaar at the centre of London’s ‘Swinging Chelsea’ after opening in 1955 - though she gave credit in 2014 to her customers, too.
“It was the girls on King's Road who invented the mini,” she said. “I was making clothes which would let you run and dance and we would make them the length the customer wanted. I wore them very short and the customers would say, ‘shorter, shorter’.”
Former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman called her a “leader of fashion but also in female entrepreneurship” in her tribute, while also noting that she was “a visionary who was much more than a great haircut."
“She was one of the truly influential figures in fashion and defined the way women thought about themselves,” Alexandra also said.
"Her influence on both fashion and women's liberation cannot be underestimated. Her sleek, simple designs were a million miles from the kinds of shapes and costumes women were wearing in the 1950s.
"As well as short skirts, she had low-heeled pumps rather than high heels and her clothes entice you to behave in a different way after the formality of the past.
"Her clothes reflect the way the social changes of the 1960s, with young women taking the pill and working more.”
And as the Victoria & Albert Museum wrote, “it’s impossible to overstate Quant’s contribution to fashion. She represented the joyful freedom of 1960s fashion, and provided a new role model for young women.
“Fashion today owes so much to her trailblazing vision.”
Images: Getty