Sadie Frost directs this illuminating profile doc on the 1960s fashion icon and progenitor of the miniskirt.
Actor Sadie Frost’s directorial debut rides on an aesthetic wave of the Swinging Sixties by taking the iconic fashion designer Mary Quant as its subject. Frost takes a fairly conventional documentary approach, but it serves as a comprehensive introduction to a master of her craft.
It seems strange at first that Quant’s own voice is largely absent from the film. She’s revealed to be a very private individual, and while aspects of her personal life are discussed by friends and family, it’s refreshing to see a documentary about a woman that gives most of its runtime to the art she created. Frost makes good use of archive material, better than breakaway scenes featuring a caricature Camilla Rutherford imitating Quant, which ensures her real voice is heard.
What Quant most interestingly offers is a portrait of the fashion house and its influence beyond the heyday of the 1960s. The label remains incredibly popular in Japan, and while Quant herself changed her approach and ideas over time, there are reminders of her sense of style in contemporary women’s fashion. She practically invented the all-in-one make-up kit, popularised PVC outfits, and set the bar several inches high for just how far above the knee a skirt hem can sit. And as with all fashion trends, Quant’s original designs seem to be coming around again today.
Still, the documentary isn’t without high-profile contributors – alongside a wealth of fashion historians and contemporaries, there are insightful but brief interviews with fashion icons Vivienne Westwood and Kate Moss who reflect on Quant’s enduring legacy. They offer compelling analysis of the liberation women garnered from Quant’s designs, especially her popularisation of the mini skirt and dresses which gave women freedom of movement. It’s certainly more interesting to hear their perspectives than those of some of the male talking heads, such as Dave Davies of The Kinks, who thanks Quant for making clothes that were easier to slide one’s hands up…
There seems to be a contradiction between the male and female perspectives on what Quant’s designs strove to achieve. This is where archival interviews with Quant are well-placed as an arbiter, stating that feeling sexy for women is a form of empowerment. It’s no coincidence that Quant’s designs took off at the same time as the introduction of the contraceptive pill for women, allowing us to control our bodies and futures independently of men and therefore giving us greater sexual freedom.
Quant ends by highlighting a major retrospective exhibition of her work which took place at the V&A in 2019 – one of the museum’s most popular exhibits ever. Frost’s documentary works well as a more widely accessible version of this display, showcasing Quant’s designs and legacy in a very functional and interesting way. Experts on the designer are unlikely to come away with any major revelations, but for those who only know about Quant’s mini skirts or nothing at all, it’s a very interesting and entertaining watch.
Published 28 Oct 2021
It’s high time the great Mary Quant received a high-profile documentary treatment.
Sadie Frost could have focused more on Quant’s own voice, but there’s plenty of fascinating insight here.
Takes a good look beyond the mini.
Fashion designer Vivienne Westwood gets the rock star bio treatment courtesy of director Lorna Tucker.
A colourful portrait of the 1970s fashion circuit as seen through the prism of an iconic illustrator.
A short, sharp portrait of the trailblazing Japanese pop artist Yayoi Kusama, from director Heather Lenz.
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