Fashion designer Mary Quant has died at the age of 93| Mary Quant

Mary Quant, the British designer that made the miniskirt popular, has passed away at the age of just 93.

A statement from her family to the PA news agency said she “died peacefully at home in Surrey, UK this morning”.

Her family said she “was one of the most internationally recognised fashion designers of the 20th century and an outstanding innovator of the Swinging Sixties”.

During the 1960s Quant became a poster girl for London’s Youthquake. Although she is often miscredited as the inventor, she undoubtably made the miniskirt the ‘it’ clothing item for a new generation of young women. With her Vidal Sassoon haircut and burgeoning reputation as the figurehead for Swinging London, she was frequently photographed and was almost always wearing a mini – including on the occasion of receiving her OBE in 1966. Quant did far more than wear miniskirts – she designed them too.

In the early 60s fashion shift, she was the one who put youth on stage. The clothes she wore were simple and bright. They took inspiration from the mods, as well as uniforms worn by school students. While they were not cheap – a pinafore dress cost six guineas in 1963, the equivalent of just over £100 – her clothes were more affordable than those made by designer brands.

The designs were appealing to the new generation of women, who have jobs and are able to afford clothes. The designer summed up the decade’s new mood, writing in her bestselling 1966 autobiography Quant by Quant that “the young were essentially tired of wearing the same as their mothers”.

A post on the Twitter account of the Victoria and Albert Museum, which recently hosted an exhibition about Quant’s designs, said: “It’s impossible to overstate Quant’s contribution to fashion. Her joyful, free-spirited 1960s style was her role model and she was an example for younger women. Fashion today owes so much to her trailblazing vision.”

Alexandra Shulman, a former editor-in-chief of British Vogue, paid tribute to Quant on Twitter: “RIP Dame Mary Quant. A leader of fashion but also in female entrepreneurship – a visionary who was much more than a great haircut.”

Quant was the child of Welsh teachers. She was born in London, England in 1934. While she didn’t study design, she was an avid user of clothes since childhood. Shortening her skirts was something she did at school. Quant by Quant: She recalls being inspired by a mini-mini skirt worn in tap dancing class by a girl.

In London, Goldsmiths taught her illustration and she was a milliner apprentice at Erik of Brook Street. In 1955 she began her career in fashion when she and Alexander Plunket Greene opened Kings Road’s Bazaar. It quickly became an area of interest for young, fashionable people. There were even crowds outside.

Quant’s first designs were based on basic dressmaking patterns. With a steady replenishment of stock, she disrupted traditional retail practices. The takings for a day would pay for the cloth to make the next day’s new designs. Even though she didn’t intend it, fast fashion can still see the impact of her move today.

She was not content with the invention of the miniskirt. Quant was also a champion of tights in unusual and bright colours. Although she did not create them, they were popularized by Quant. In 1973, a Sunday Times article argued that they were the most popular item among women. Hotpants, onesies and PVC raincoats can also be traced back to her work, and – unusually for the time – she used models of colour, including Donyale Luna.

Married to Plunket Greene until his death in 1990, the couple had a son, Orlando, who has been involved in retaining his mother’s legacy. He unveiled the plaque at Kings Road, where Bazaar was once located during London Fashion Week 2019.

You can see Quant as an early example in turning fashion labels into brands. Her logo was a black-and-white daisy. It was created by her in the 1950s. This logo appeared on clothing packaging, including tights, and the successful makeup line. Mary Quant Cosmetics was established in 1966 and became her brand ambassador even when attention shifted to her clothes. It is still in operation.

Recent years have seen the designer make a comeback on the radars of younger generations. A 2019 exhibition at the V&A was the first in 50 years and included 35 pieces sourced from a public call-out. The exhibition was then followed by Quant in 2021. It was directed and produced by Sadie Frost. Featuring names including Vivienne Westwood, Kate Moss and Edward Enninful, her friend Jasper Conran summed up her legacy best: “Mary Quant is, without a doubt, one of the most important British designers ever.”