Hello lovelies!
I was born in the 1960’s in London, England. Even though I didn’t realize it at the time I was surrounded by Mary Quant’s influence on fashion. My mum and all her friends wore mini dresses, and our sixteen year old babysitter was a mod with thick black eyelashes, gold hoops in her ears, and an undying crush on Paul McCartney.
I always loved fashion and when the opportunity came to write this book I was intrigued and intimidated at the same time. The more research I did the more impressed I became about Quant’s impact not only on ‘Swinging London’ but all over the world—especially the USA. And it wasn’t just the fashion, it was her emphasis on fun, useable, wearable, designs for every girl striving for a newly independent life.
I wanted to show how Mary influenced different kinds of women and chose three narrators: Chrissie, Mary’s best friend at art college, Daphne, an upper class debutante, and Fern an aspiring model. All three of them are enriched by their association with Mary and learn to take the kind of risks she would have approved of as they navigate the changing world around them.
I hope it leads to lots of discussions about how things were, and how they are now, and about women’s place in the world. Fashion isn’t just about clothes. For Mary Quant and the generation of women she inspired it was so much more.
Today is the launch day for Chelsea Girls, and I'm delighted by the lovely reviews from advance readers. Thank you so much to anyone who has already left a review. Here is a sample from Goodreads:
"Because of my age, I have a problem considering the 1960s to be historical fiction but have finally realized that if historical fiction is considered anything over 50 years old, even the 1970s are considered historical fiction! Now that I’ve recovered from this fact, I will say that I loved this book and learning more about the background of the designer and models who revolutionized style in the 1960s."
Sue
It was such a compulsive, entertaining read, and I could not put it down, nor stop thinking about it whenever I did eventually put it down.
Eve
This was a brilliant piece of fiction with a ton of reality included.
This will make a great beach read as well as a book club choice. There is a lot to discuss in this book, especially for a slightly older group who lived this era.
Not only does this book tell all about the fashion revolution, it is also a deep look into women owning their own businesses and the difficulties surrounding women in business.
Dianne
I hope you enjoy the book, and I'd love to hear what you think! Find Chelsea Girls here
Kate x
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