Task 2- Specialism Choice: Context. Mary Quant 1960s

I really enjoy the work of Mary Quant and the whole 1960s style. I love how minimal these dresses are with the use of the two colours with a simplistic pattern of squares and polka dots. There is one main colour on both garments with the other colour for the detail e.g the polka dots and outline of the squares. I think the frills on the first piece really add character and charm to the design and actually ooze elegance.
Both of the surfaces have geometric patterns printed onto the fabric and from what i can see the texture is flat and most likely smooth. This work makes me feel inspired because this is the sort of style i think is very classic and minimal, something i would likely wear. I think the theme of the work and the overall 60s look exudes beauty and reminds me of the movie star style similar to that of Audrey Hepburn who was a massive influential icon of the 60s. Overall the work is quite minimal however there are parts of both which exaggerate the style of the period. For example, on the first piece Quant has used frills on the collar and cuffs of the dress. Like i have already mentioned i believe this really adds to the work and creates a sophisticated look. The second piece has a special feature also, that being the belted button piece around the middle of the dress which rests perfectly on the hips of the model, creating a graceful look.

These pieces were heavily influenced by the London mod look created by Quant and many other designers. The 1960s saw the end of the 'mini me' phase where teenagers aspired to look like their mothers in the puffy skirted, small waisted dresses which were extremely popular in the 1950s. Mary Quant's designs remind me a lot of the work created by artist Bridget Riley and her use of simple surface pattern, geometric shapes and symmetrical patterns. Similarly when i look at this work i am reminded of op art produced in the 1960s and even pop art which tended to be more colourful. There was a lot of pop art made of influential people, including fashion icon Audrey Hepburn. Other fashion icons of the time were: Jackie Kennedy, Twiggy, Brigitte Bardot and even Mary Quant herself. There were many fashion developments in the 1960s, including the beginning of the mini skirt, womens pants, jeans and the bikini. Not only were there developments in clothing but hair cuts and overall style had developed too. Vidal Sasoon was one of the first people to bring in the mod cut, the 'bob' made popular by many people including Quant. Also made popular was the beehive, the bouffant and the pixie cut seen on influential model Twiggy. The mod look was based largely on the London style and examples of this seen in Quant's Boutiques. The London style was very chic and included: mini skirts, shift dresses and go-go boots and the style was often dramatic, particularly the make-up which  accentuated the eyes. Many women sported the coloured tights with hot pants and some wore jewelry, mainly clip on earrings, plastic braclets etc. The most common patterns found on fabrics were polka dots, geometric shapes, check, florals and paisley.  The style was also largely linked to the music and films of the time and as far as many people were concerned London was the place to be.