British fashion designer Mary Quant died Thursday at her home in southern England, her family confirms.
Quant’s family said she “died peacefully,” according to TMZ. Quant is credited with popularizing the miniskirt and is famous for designing the colorful short skirts and matching tights throughout the 1960s. She made fun fashion accessible to the average consumer by creating simple designs that could easily be mixed and matched, according to TMZ.
Dame Mary Quant (1930-2023)
It’s impossible to overstate Quant’s contribution to fashion. She represented the joyful freedom of 1960s fashion, and provided a new role model for young women.
Fashion today owes so much to her trailblazing vision. pic.twitter.com/4z3MXp0tZl
— V&A (@V_and_A) April 13, 2023
Seemingly born with a flair for fashion, Quant began her career by creating her own clothes in 1955. She saw immediate success with the launch of her first boutique, Bazaar, on London’s famous King’s Road in Chelsea, according to TMZ. Her stunning designs attracted shoppers who routinely flocked to the store, and the area soon became considered a hot spot for British fashion.
By 1965, Quant had already made her mark in the world of fashion and established a successful global brand. Her fashion line was sold in J.C. Penney, and she had her very own makeup line and doll. Quant’s boutique shops popped up in a variety of New York department stores as well, according to TMZ.
RIP Mary Quant, legendary fashion designer: https://t.co/AWI6bygUhA pic.twitter.com/VZ8OFJpxBf
— British Pathé (@BritishPathe) April 13, 2023
The fashionista attracted so much fanfare that she required police protection from the swarms of crowds that flocked to catch a glimpse of her when she visited the United States, TMZ reported. (RELATED: 65-Year-Old Actor From ‘Seinfeld,’ ‘White Lotus’ Hits The Runway)
Quant was dubbed an officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1966 after bolstering British exports with over $20 million in sales, according to the outlet. A Royal mail postage stamp was also created in her honor.
Quant’s cause of death has not yet been revealed.