In 1955, Mary Quant opened Bazaar, her first clothes shop on the King's
Road in Chelsea. She believed that fashion should not exist just for the
rich but for everyone, particularly the young. She gathered clothes
together which she believed would be exciting for young people to wear.
Success of Bazaar
The shop was hugely successful. Within the first week of being open, it
had taken five times more money than she expected. It was then that Quant
decided that she would design and make her own clothes to sell in the
shop. She was responsible for many original styles. These included the
mini skirt, coloured tights and 'wet-look' PVC fashion, as seen in this
1963 raincoat.
Shopping on King's Road
Mary Quant became linked with the 'Swinging Sixties' and the 'Chelsea
Set'. The trendy shops and coffee bars of the King's Road became the place
in London for young people to shop and be seen.
