Mary Quant: My Autobiography

by Mary Quant

Not many names epitomise an era, but Mary Quant is such a name. Her life, her ideas, her style touched everyone. Mary Quant is fashion. Most people connect Mary with one thing - the mini skirt - that ground-breaking design that is as potent now as it was when it first appeared in the early sixties. But her influence carried way beyond those early frenetic black-and-white years. Now, towards the close of what has been one of the most influential careers in fashion's history, Mary Quant has written a memoir in her own inimitable style - a witty, unique account of her whirlwind life.

Genres: Nonfiction, Autobiography, Fashion, Biography Memoir

304 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2011

About the author

Dame Barbara Mary Quant, Mrs Plunket Greene, DBE, FCSD, RDI was a British fashion designer and fashion icon. She became an instrumental figure in the 1960s London-based Mod and youth fashion movements. She was one of the designers who took credit for the miniskirt and hotpants.

Reviews

[Hari · Rating 2 out of 5]

Started reading not sure I can finish. So far it’s coming across as glib, the kind of anecdotes that have been told and retold so often they have become polished pebbles, all surface gloss. And did anyone proof this? I mean Butterwick sewing patterns, seriously?! Misspelled every time, even though Mary Quant designed for Butterick. Will see how I go.

EDITED TO ADD:

I’m sorry I can’t finish it. It’s not what I was expecting. It reeks of privilege. Rather than a fashion revolution from the streets it reads as a pair of toffs who read the zeitgeist and ran with it, skipping easily to profit and renown whilst merrily name dropping. I can’t believe this is how she wants to be remembered. APG (her husband) was a descendant of some of the Bright Young Things immortalized in Waugh’s Vile Bodies and this is a continuation of that same old trope. I would hope there’s a real person and creative individual spark in Mary Quant but this is not that story.

[Monsieur Croissant · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book is beautifully designed, the chapters look short (succinct?) and have appealing titles...Always been an admirer of Quant so this looks the perfect read for me! HOWEVER....
...This is not really an autobiography, we learn very little about Quant and her life, it comes across as the opinions and addled anecdotes of a dotty old lady! (If you're Jewish please don't read the chapter named Hats and Hair - please)
Mary repeats herself endlessly and tediously and there are many howling mistakes like calling US Pattern retailer Butterick - Butterwick! And Swiss shoe manufacturer Bally - Ballet! - did anyone check this? Sadly I think not,
I'm reckoning this was written when Mary was 82, her endless obsession with trade shows, nannies and Japanese cosmetic consumers make for a car crash of a book - AVOID!

[Michelle Holden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book especially the way the chapters are short and flit from subject to subject,not like a lot of biography books, which can become quite boring.
I've always loved mary quant despite been born in the late 60s,but i always remember my mum having the vidal sassoon 5 point haircut,and i had the daisy doll and the havoc doll as well. I use to love walking into woolworths and looking at the mary quant make up in its black containers with the daisy logo,it seemed so fresh and different. if you love fashion in the 60s or just love the designer,you have to read this book...

[Joanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a woman! Love her designs and vision. Very influential.

[Louisa Holgate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I couldn’t finish this book.

There was no flow - just pretentious ramblings.

[Pete daPixie · Rating 3 out of 5]

More a memoir than any autobiography that I have read previously. Yet I enjoyed the book simply for its 60's nostalgia. It's my generation baby.
A book of almost three hundred pages comprising some ninety compositions, often just single or two pages in length. I can't say I was ever any dedicated follower of fashion, so Quants topics on Design, Cosmetics or Fabrics etc., left me cold. However, as stated above, each 'chapter' is only a page or two long so the reader can quickly move on.
I was more interested in MQ's background, her early life and how she began her business empire. Even though, like any autobiography, these points are covered, most of this book is a memoir of the life and times of Quant's hectic international fashion work, keeping the personal details to a minimum.

[Maya Spotorno · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn’t finish it. Rich people cosplaying as working class. She keeps repeating how poor they were, yet in the next paragraph her husband is inheriting lots of money and buying a Porsche. It feels like she tries too hard to be “quirky,” making the anecdotes come across as a little forced. I don’t know, not what I expected.

[THE BOOK SHUTTLE Children's Online Bookstore · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Quant is most famous for inventing the Mini-Skirt and Hot Pants. She defined fashion in the 1960′s like no other designer! Her autobiography is a collection of stories about her life. Each chapter a different topic. It is an interesting insight into Mary Quant’s world.

I would not say that she gave much away emotionally when telling her stories. She is somewhat guarded in letting you know how she felt about those close to her. Her family, friends and work collegues come in and out of her story telling, yet she does not really let you get too deep into how she felt about the people around her.

However, Mary Quant does give much away about her passion for fashion and cosmetics! For anyone who loves fashion or is in the fashion industry, you will get a great detailed history of how the groovy clothes of the 1960′s evolved! Mary is a workaholic, and absolutely loves being a designer – designing really is her life! A very creative woman, with an amazing eye for detail.

This book is probably not for everyone, but if you lived through the 1960′s and the whole era of ”the London Look”, or if you are passionate about fashion this is an interesting read!

Review by Karina from THE BOOK SHUTTLE

[Ginni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating and easy to read - for Quant, design was all enveloping and the sense of the visual comes through strongly. The descriptions of colour and line are very evocative of the 60s and my teenage years. She is mad about Alexander Plunkett Green, Chelsea, Japan, France - and the rise of 'career women.' How old fashioned that last phrase sounds now!

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

This reads more like a recollection of a life well lived with interesting (and at times short chapters) titles such as "The Floating Crap Game", "Dinner with Nureyev" and of course "Styling the Mini". A breeze to read, like a favourite aunt telling you about her glamorous past life.

[Maria Rosanna Ioannou · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. And what a fantastic surname is Quant!

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting, factual ideas from the designer of the 60s and beyond. Mini skirts, hot pants and pvc macs all items I owned at one time in the 60s.

[Gather RI]

We have the paperback

[Marie Collier · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is like sitting across the table with a glass of wine with Mary Quant x

[Mol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly very disappointed about this. I didn't like the way it was written, both Quant's tone and also the order of chapters. We seemed to bump around all over the place without any reason. And the content of the chapters themselves were just shit. Like why do I want Mary Quant to tell me about her meeting and drinking with Maggie Thatcher ? I don't. She sadly came across very out of touch to me. Saying that all children should have nannies (as if that's attainable), talking about all the houses in different countries she had, blah, blah, blah. It just felt as though she was parading her wealth, but at no point told us how grateful she was to achieve this, or how she became to achieve this. What little we did get about fashion and that industry was ok. I enjoyed the chapter on colour and fashion ! But other than that, I didn't find this enjoyable in the least. Sorry. Do I still love Mary Quant and her designs for being so groundbreaking ? Yes. Do I wish she had come across better in her own autobiography ? Yes.

[Linda · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was a book of short chapters, jumping from one subject to another, random topics in no particular order. It would require a large amount of editing to improve, and it didn’t really provide much of an insight into Quant’s creative process, just her privileged belief that the British do everything better than the rest of the world. At times I found it boring and pretentious.

[almudenasaiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mary Queen