Which British designer helped popularize the miniskirt in the 1960s?

Mary Quant helped popularize the miniskirt in Britain during the 1960s. Her youthful, practical designs became closely associated with London’s “Swinging Sixties” and helped turn the short skirt into an international fashion trend.

Quant began experimenting with shorter hemlines in the late 1950s and sold her designs through Bazaar, the boutique she opened on London’s King’s Road in 1955. She designed clothes for young women who wanted freedom of movement, bright colors, and a break from older, more formal fashions. She later said customers kept asking her to make skirts “shorter, shorter.”

Quant is often called the miniskirt’s inventor, but that claim is disputed. French designer André Courrèges and British designer John Bates have also received credit for pioneering very short skirts. Quant herself said young women on the King’s Road deserved much of the credit. Still, she was unquestionably one of the style’s most influential champions, and she reportedly named it after the Mini car. Model Twiggy helped spread the look internationally.