Something that struck me straight away was how few men were there, perhaps not surprisingly. I only noticed a handful, one of whom was extraordinarily dapper with a liberal sprinkle of quirkiness (I'm sure I spotted sequins); I could just imagine him as an arty fashion
designer. Instead it was mostly women of
the more mature variety who were wandering around the Mary Quant exhibition a couple of weeks ago at
the lovely V&A Museum in London. I went along with my
sister and cousin (we all fit the above description...) and I loved it. I also noticed that a number of particularly stylish, elegant ladies, the kind with chic white bobs and good boots, were clearly transported back in time by what
they were viewing, chatting enthusiastically to their friends and sharing reminiscences
as they lingered over the displays. “Oh, yes, I remember those…!”
Whilst Mary Quant’s fashion designs wouldn’t be considered controversial
now, it was interesting to remind myself
that they were really quite anti-establishment at the time. For a start they broke away from the restrictive corsetry of the previous decades - what a relief that must've been; in doing so they represented a new freedom that was more than just physical. And they blurred the boundaries of
conventional femininity with ensembles inspired by menswear, such as sharply
cut suits with waistcoats and ties. Up until
this point women simply wearing trousers in public was still quite unusual; embracing an even more androgynous image was sure to raise eyebrows.
“The voices, rules
and culture of this generation are as different from those of the past as tea
and wine,” Mary Quant wrote in the 1960s.
“And the clothes they choose evoke their lives..” she continued,
“…daring, gay, never dull.”
I’m just a little too young to have sported any of the
original outfits on show from Mary Quant’s career between 1955 to 1975, but there were a few I honestly wish I could wear now, I must say. The low-waisted wool jersey dresses, the androgynous trouser-suits, brightly coloured tights and wet-look PVC macs…some fabulous accessories too. There’s just something about the look (and
literally ‘The Look’) plus the cut of
these items that has a timeless appeal, at least to my eyes. Perhaps it’s ironic that I think that now,
being the age I am, when they were really all about youthfulness.
And a little slice of '60s mod/psych to fit the theme...
The Fresh Windows: Fashion Conscious (B-side to Summer Sun Shines, 1967)
Sounds and looks wonderful, C. I am least fashionable person in the known universe, so it would all be beyond me but there's something comforting in knowing that there will always be people out there trying to breaks some sartorial boundaries. Now, where's my anorak?
ReplyDeleteIt was quite a tonic really! Vibrant, colourful and joyful - just what we need. Perhaps there's a market out there now for psychedelic / Op Art anoraks ...?
DeleteLooks like a good exhibition.
ReplyDeleteYes, really enjoyed it, my photos don't do it justice. Most of the clothes, many of which had been donated by members of the public following a call-out from the curators last year, were in very good condition too. Just goes to show what people keep in their attics!
DeleteI saw this exhibition back in the summer, the day after our lovely meet-up. My host took me to the V&A primarily to see the Dior exhibition but we managed to spend some time with Mary’s designs too. I too was just too young to have worn any of her iconic looks but as children the clothes we wore were highly influenced by her. Simple shifts, flat boots and all that “wet look”. The day we went, there were a few ladies dressed in what must have been vintage Mary originals - must be worth a bob or two nowadays. Totally agree how everything changed in the 60s and what a freedom women must have had after all that corsetry, stockings, hats and heels. I still love Mary’s 60s hairstyle - she had just the right kind of hair for it too. Thanks for sharing your pictures. I’m going to have a look back and compare with mine (bet there’s an overlap). Thanks for sharing the song too - a new one for me.
ReplyDeleteYou know, after I came back I wondered if you'd seen it as I remembered you were going to see the Dior exhibition but hadn't realised at the time that MQ had started then too. Great to know that you saw the same things! You're right, even as children our clothes were influenced; I had a groovy purple dress (from the John Noble catalogue, remember that?!) and my lovely Francie doll (Sindy's cousin, I think) was a Mod! She had some fab clothes in amazing colours and fabrics, wish I could have human-size versions of them now...
DeleteYes, I bet there's an overlap in our photos too.
The song is quite an obscurity from when I was very heavily into and discovering '60s beat and psychedelia during the mid-80s. There were all sorts of wonderful and weird compilation albums surfacing with these little-known tracks on.
I remember a couple of dresses with wet look collars when I was small . I'm off to the Hogarth at the Soanes soon .
ReplyDeleteI wonder if the wet look collar will come back?
DeleteI've read about, but never been to the Soanes - really must try to get to more places including that one and I imagine Hogarth's work will be fascinating to see in the flesh.
I know someone in this household who would have really enjoyed this exhibit.
ReplyDeleteAh, a woman of taste I think!
DeleteWhen I saw the title of this post, I wondered whether (hoped?) you might include this: https://youtu.be/AMNize7s8nc
ReplyDeleteOh thanks - I should've thought of that and didn't, bugger it! I don't even know why I called this post 'Mary Mary' - it just sprang to mind, probably from the nursery rhyme, and I didn't give it too much more thought!
DeleteAny excuse for a Monkees clip :)
DeleteLovely to see you again Yve, hope all's well. Shame you can't get down to the exhibition - especially as there actually were some Daisy Dolls and books there! I'm sorry I didn't cover them or include photos in this post, I didn't actually remember them like you did, so although great to look at they didn't resonate with me in the same way as with you, but great to see. I think they may have more Daisy dolls and paraphernalia at their sister museum, the V&A Museum of Childhood in Bethnal Green too - maybe get that train down after all and get down there to visit both in the name of research! ;-)
ReplyDelete