Mary Quant

The impact and personality of fashion icon Mary Quant seen through archive-led films and personal interviews.

This major V&A retrospective explored how Mary Quant launched a fashion revolution on the British high street.

NewAngle developed eight films for the exhibition exploring youth culture of the late 1950s and 1960s, Quant’s design process, marketing techniques, theories on fashion, and the impact of her clothes.

Archive research was carried out to source rarely seen footage for several content-rich films. These conveyed Quant’s ground-breaking fashion ethos and the energy of her designs.

We also filmed interviews with four women who knew or worked with Quant in the 1960s, giving their unique perspectives on the fashion designer.

A large circular structure in the centre of the mezzanine displayed projected photographs and quotes sent in by the public telling their personal stories of wearing Quant’s clothes.

In 2020 the exhibition travelled to the V&A Dundee. We updated two exhibits for the new location, collecting images and stories from the Scottish public for the ‘Call out for Quant’ film and interviewing designers about Quant’s influence on them.

In 2021 the exhibition opened at the Auckland Art Gallery in New Zealand.