Mary Quant retrospective at London's V&A Museum

The Victoria & Albert Museum in London hosts the first international retrospective dedicated to Mary Quant (1934), the inventor of the miniskirt. Curated by Steph Wood and Jenny Lister, the exhibition covers the years 1955 to 1975, exploring Quant's fashion revolution that influenced both British and global markets. It features over 120 garments, accessories, cosmetics, sketches, and photographs, most never exhibited before. The show is spread over two floors: the entrance recreates post-war London in 1955, the year Quant opened her experimental Bazaar boutique in Chelsea, later replaced by an elegant shop in Knightsbridge. Highlights include colorful raincoats, schoolgirl-inspired dresses, male-tailoring influences, and the iconic daisy logo. The upper floor presents Daisy dolls (rivals to Barbie), lingerie, and revolutionary cuts. Quant's accessible fashion targeted younger women, riding the wave of female emancipation. She became an icon of Swinging London, photographed by David Bailey alongside Twiggy, the Beatles, and the Rolling Stones. In 1966 she was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire, and five years ago she was made a Dame Commander. The exhibition runs until February 16, 2020.