Mary Quant retrospective celebrates the life of a fashion revolutionary

Garments, designs and photographs will offer an insight into life of one of fashion's pivotal figures

Pioneering fashion designer Mary Quant will soon be honoured in a retrospective at the V&A in London.

Visitors will take a tour through the life of Ms Quant between 1955 and 1975, the period in which she wrangled fashion from the tired traditions of a gloomy post-war London and propelled it into the free-spirited future.

A selection of Ms Quant’s most exceptional garments and accessories will be on show alongside never before seen sketches and photographs that offer insight into the working life of a young, revolutionary fashion designer.

In assembling the exhibition, the curators were given unprecedented access to Ms Quant’s personal archive as well as having the V&A’s collection to draw from, but they were not quite satisfied.

They figured there must also be rare and otherwise forgotten garments hidden in wardrobes across the country, so they launched #WeWantQuant, a public call-out that led to a deluge of unique items being lent for show.

Ms Quant, now 89, is pleased with the public’s generosity and said it is “a huge honour” to be recognised in this way.

The exhibition Mary Quant will run from 6 April to 16 February.