Designer Mary Quant dies aged 93

Mary Quant, the British designer often considered to be the creator of the mini skirt, has reportedly passed away at the age of 93.

The news was reported by the PA news agency, which cited a statement from Quant’s family saying that she “died peacefully at her home in Surrey, UK this morning”.

The statement continued: “Dame Mary was one of the most internationally recognised fashion designers of the 20th century and an outstanding innovator of the Swinging Sixties.”

Quant’s influence was recognised in this year’s New Year’s Honours List, where she was named as one of the recipients of the Companion of Honour award, one of the highest accolades on the list.

It recognised the designer for her “major contribution to the arts, science, medicine, government”, and saw her included among the likes of actress Maggie Smith and fashion designer Paul Smith as one of the award’s 65 members.

The mother of the mini skirt

Over the years, Quant built a name for herself in the fashion industry, particularly for her work in the 1950’s when she opened her first shop Bazaar in Chelsea, London.

The shop-restaurant space became a central meeting point for young people and artists, and attracted celebrities, like the Rolling Stones and Audrey Hepburn, to the borough.

Next to being credited with popularising the mini skirt, Quant also contributed to the popular culture of ‘The Chelsea Girl’ and ‘Youthquake’, which could be defined by the use of mock-turtlenecks, short boots and opaque tights.

She was also considered the first designer to implement PVC into her creations, using the material for a range of coats and footwear as part of her ‘Wet Collection’ released in 1963.

Among her achievements, the designer further created the airline hostess uniforms for Court Line Aviation in 1972, and wrote an early biography, ‘Quant by Quant’, in 1966.