Quantum style

How designer Mary Quant launched a high-street and aesthetic revolution

From miniskirts and hot pants to vibrant tights and makeup, Mary Quant launched a fashion revolution on the British high street. A design and retail pioneer, she popularized super-high hemlines and a range of irreverent looks that became critical to the development of the Swinging Sixties scene. Her legacy is celebrated in Mary Quant, a major exhibition at the V&A in London, which opened on April 6 and runs until Feb 16, 2020.

Although Quant is often credited with creating the decade's most iconic look, the miniskirt, there's no conclusive evidence to say who first took hemlines a daringly long way north of the knee (French couturier Andre Courreges is another possibility). Regardless, extremely short skirts and shift dresses became Quant's trademark, and were popularized by the era's most high-profile model, Twiggy, whose willowy figure helped turn ultrashort hemlines into an international trend.