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Mary Quant honoured with Blue Plaque on the King's Road

Lauretta Roberts
16 September 2019

Fashion design legend Dame Mary Quant has been honoured with a Blue Plaque to mark the original site of her trailblazing fashion boutique Bazaar on London's King's Road.

The plaque was unveiled today during a ceremony to celebrate the designer, who is credited with spearheading the young fashion movement in the 1960s, by her son Orlando Plunket Greene.

Its unveiling coincides with London Fashion Week, Dame Mary’s forthcoming "Lifetime Achievement" recognition at the World Fashion Awards, as well as a major international retrospective exploring her influential career at the V&A, which is just a short walk away from the boutique's original site.

Quant is known for challenging conventions, having popularised tights, hot pants, the mini skirt and trousers, and her work is said to have paved the way for the emergence of high street stores catering to a young audience, such as Topshop.

Mary Quant

Mary Quant in her appartment in Draycott Place (Chelsea, London) thinking about her next creations. (Photo by Keystone-France/Gamma-Keystone via Getty Images) c.1965

The exhibition at the V&A celebrates her career from 1955 to 1975 and includes pieces donated by members of the public after the museum issued an open call for donations. It runs until 16 February 2020.

Hugh Seaborn, Chief Executive of Cadogan, the estate upon which the King's Road is based, said: “The King’s Road has a long, rich heritage as the home of innovation and inspiring trends. Dame Mary is an iconic character central to the Road, who revolutionised retail with immense global impact. Today, the focus for retail is increasingly on creating immersive experiences, a strong sense of community and celebrating creativity – all values pertinent to her original trailblazing approach, that still resonate with the Road today and as we look to its future.”

The King’s Road is one of the world’s most famous shopping and lifestyle destinations. From its aristocratic origins as King Charles II’s private road, from whom it took its name, the Road is an intrinsic part of Britain’s cultural and social history. It has always been at the forefront of fashion counter-cultural movements – from Mods to Punks, Sloanes and New Romantics.

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