O.B.E. Dress
Dress
1966 (designed)
1966 (designed)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Mary Quant’s first boutique, Bazaar, opened in London's King's Road in 1955, launching a successful fashion career. Her youthful easy-to-wear clothing became so popular that in 1963, she launched a lower-priced ready-to-wear range called 'Ginger Group'. She also entered into licensing agreements with manufacturers to produce hosiery, underwear, cosmetics and accessories bearing her name. Almost anyone, whatever their income, could spare the money to buy a pair of 'Mary Quant' stockings or a lipstick. This enabled girls who could not otherwise afford her clothing to feel in touch with fashion, and made Mary Quant a household name and a commercial success.
Her contribution to British life was marked by a retrospective exhibition at the London Museum in 1973. The exhibition included many of Quant's most revolutionary garments, some remade as facsimiles if original ones could not be found.
Her contribution to British life was marked by a retrospective exhibition at the London Museum in 1973. The exhibition included many of Quant's most revolutionary garments, some remade as facsimiles if original ones could not be found.
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Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Title | O.B.E. Dress (assigned by artist) |
| Materials and techniques | Wool jersey |
| Brief description | Dress of wool jersey, 'O. B. E. Dress', designed by Mary Quant, London, 1966 |
| Physical description | Cream wool jersey dress with low waist and short slightly gathered skirt. High collar and bell shaped sleeves faced with blue topstitching, brass zippers at neck and cuffs. |
| Production type | Ready to wear |
| Gallery label |
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| Credit line | Given by Mary Quant |
| Object history | An identical design was worn by Mary Quant to collect her OBE from Buckingham Palace in 1966 (Another version was no. 38 in the "Mary Quant's London" retrospective at the Museum of London, who now own the dress. As our dress was acquired in 1971 directly from Mary Quant via Cecil Beaton, the Museum of London dress might be one of the replicas made by Quant for her retrospective.) |
| Summary | Mary Quant’s first boutique, Bazaar, opened in London's King's Road in 1955, launching a successful fashion career. Her youthful easy-to-wear clothing became so popular that in 1963, she launched a lower-priced ready-to-wear range called 'Ginger Group'. She also entered into licensing agreements with manufacturers to produce hosiery, underwear, cosmetics and accessories bearing her name. Almost anyone, whatever their income, could spare the money to buy a pair of 'Mary Quant' stockings or a lipstick. This enabled girls who could not otherwise afford her clothing to feel in touch with fashion, and made Mary Quant a household name and a commercial success. Her contribution to British life was marked by a retrospective exhibition at the London Museum in 1973. The exhibition included many of Quant's most revolutionary garments, some remade as facsimiles if original ones could not be found. |
| Bibliographic reference | Fashion : An Anthology by Cecil Beaton. London : H.M.S.O., 1971 |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.354-1974 |
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| Record created | September 5, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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