Swinging London: A Lifestyle Revolution, Fashion and Textile Museum

A veritable revolution in fashion will be on display at the Fashion and Textile Museum in 2019. Their upcoming exhibition Swinging London: A Lifestyle Revolution celebrates the achievements of the Chelsea Set, a group of radical young architects, designers, photographers and artists who challenged the status quo of 1950s London with their bold redefinition of youth. Key members include Mary Quant (credited with the creation of the mini-skirt) and Terence Conran (the founder of Habitat). The exhibition will not only examine changes in fashion, but also changes in the shopping experience in general. Quant helped to revolutionise the way we view shopping, opening a controversial store Bazaar in Chelsea, followed by a second store designed by Conran.


Images from Conran/Quant: Swinging London: A Lifestyle Revolution, published by ACC Art Books

The exhibition aims to capture the mood of this transformative time in history, showing how continental trends began to influence British life and fashion. It will cover the time period spanning from 1952 to 1977, with tableaus revealing the lifestyle that influenced the works on display. Early examples of designs by Conran and Quant will feature alongside works by the avant-garde artists, designers and intellectuals who worked alongside them, including designers Bernard and Laura Ashley and photographer Nigel Henderson. Although now a well-known brand name, Laura Ashley's contributions to fashion have often been overlooked. Her hard-wearing striped smocks, aprons and the easy to wear ‘basic dress’ are now design classics, while her husband was one of the first to use pop designs in textiles.

This exhibition will be sure to interest anyone with an eye for fashion so put on your best mini-skirt and enjoy!