Mary Quant opened Bazaar, a boutique on the King's Road, in 1955 at a time when 'fashion wasn't designed for young people'. Quant was influenced by Chelsea beatniks and dance outfits she remembered from childhood. Famed for popularising, if not inventing, the mini skirt, her clothes were made up of simple shapes combined with strong colours. By 1963 her success led to the opening of a second branch of Bazaar in Knightsbridge. She later launched the Ginger Group, a lower priced line designed to appeal to an even wider clientele.

Thumbnail of Interview with Vanessa Denza MBE

Interview with Vanessa Denza MBE

This is an interview recorded with Vanessa Denza in February 2006. As buyer for the 21 Shop at Woollands department store, Knightsbridge in 1961, Vanessa Denza helped launch key young designers. She opened the Vanessa Frye boutique, Sloane Street (1966-70), subsequently establishing Denza International, an international fashion industry recruitment agency and consultancy. She founded Graduate Fashion Week in 1989. In 2004 she received the MBE for her services to the British fashion industry and education.

Thumbnail of Interview with Felicity Green

Interview with Felicity Green

Felicity Green has received many awards for her original presentation of fashion. In 2005 she was elected to the Press Gazette Newspaper Hall of Fame.

Thumbnail of Garments worn by Marit Allen

Garments worn by Marit Allen

These four outfits were worn by Marit Allen in the 1960s, when she was a key figure in the world of 1960s British fashion.

Thumbnail of Dating old photographs from clothes worn in the 1960s

Dating old photographs from clothes worn in the 1960s

In the 1960s, fashionable young women wore mini-skirts or mini-dresses, often cut in a simple A-line. They emphasised their eyes with pale foundation and heavy kohl eyeliner. Young men wore more colourful clothing than previously, including printed shirts. Lapels and trouser legs were exaggerated, and bell-bottom jeans were fashionable.

A gift in your will

You may not have thought of including a gift to a museum in your will, but the V&A is a charity and legacies form an important source of funding for our work. It is not just the great collectors and the wealthy who leave legacies to the V&A. Legacies of all sizes, large and small, make a real difference to what we can do and your support can help ensure that future generations enjoy the V&A as much as you have.

More

Shop online

Quant by Quant: The Autobiography of Mary Quant (Available to pre-order, due September 2012)

Quant by Quant: The Autobiography of Mary Quant (Available to pre-order, due September 2012)

'One of the most inspiring books I have ever read' Luella Bartley

Buy now

Event - From Biba to Topshop: 20th Century Retail

Sat 30 June 2012 10:30

STUDY DAY: Investigate the history of the most pioneering shops, including Biba, Habitat, Mary Quant and Ikea - that are associated with fashion and design in post-war Britain.

Book online