Swinging London : A Lifestyle Revolution/Terence Conran – Mary Quant


Nostalgic exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum looking at how designers in London from the late 19040s to 1960s changed the look of the nation.

The show focused on Mary Quant and Terence Conran although it included others such as Bernard and Laura Ashley. I loved the way the show used objects and clothes. Textiles were displayed well and shown like art works.

I say it was nostalgic as it was full of things I recognised from my youth and it made me realise my parents were more fashionable that I gave them credit for! I lived near the first Habitat store in Wallingford and it was a regular spot for weekend trips.  I welled up at the sight of the flat pack cardboard dolls house I must have had for Christmas 1968 which my father and a friend who was staying spent all day making for me. I think it had been bought as much for them as me. It even had a little cardboard cat.

The clothes didn’t mean so much to me but it was lovely to read that Quant was partly responsible for the invention of tights which I remember a friend’s mother telling my Mum about and her passing that knowledge on to her friends. It revolutionised their lives! It was also lovely to see the lovely Quant makeup packaging which I longer to have but I was just too young for.

Closes 2 June 2019

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