The miniskirt, inspired by the automotive world? What is certain is that its creator Mary Quant, who died at the age of 93 on April 13, 2023, was a fan of the Mini, this small car from the British brand of the same name.
Deemed immoral and provocative when it was launched in the 1960s, the mini skirt made history. Assigned to Mary Quant, British designer who died on April 13, 2024, her invention contributed to the emancipation of women. Among the legends that surround this still popular piece, one of them is really original, since it affirms that this garment would have borrowed its name from a famous car model.
The myth goes that Mary Quant chose to name this ultra-short skirt after her favorite automobile: the Mini, from the British brand of the same name. Slightly older than the miniskirt, this car was put on the market in 1959 and immediately met with success. And for good reason: like the miniskirt, it was revolutionary because despite its very small size, it allowed four people to be transported at a time. The story between Mary Quant and Mini does not end there, since in 1988 the seamstress collaborates with the car brand and creates the interior of the new model Mini-Designer. She imagines seats in black and white with stripes, while the dashboard and the belts are adorned with red. To leave her mark, Mary Quant signs the vehicle’s steering wheel and seats. A collector’s item sold in 2,000 copies in England from June 1988.
Mary Quant and André Courrèges, the duo of inventors
A great debate animates the small world of fashion: who, of Mary Quant or André Courrèges, is the first to have invented the miniskirt? In fact, each on their own, the two couturiers shortened the lengths of their collections at the dawn of the 1960s.
For Mary Quant, the miniskirt follows lines and shapes geometric, adopts bright colors and quirky prints such as polka dots. She was also one of the first designers to use PVC in its ready-to-wear collections. At André Courrèges, the miniskirt is avant-garde and features a resolutely modern trapeze cut. Two extremely desirable garments, which have not aged a bit.