Chelsea Girls

Name: Chelsea Girls
Price: 39.99 AUD
Availability: PreOrder
ISBN: 9781496756619

Catherine Lloyd

$39.99

Paperback

Forthcoming
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English

Kensington Publishing
30 June 2026

Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945)

A glamorous and revealing biographical novel for readers of Renee Rosen, Allison Pataki, and Fiona Davis, starring one of Swinging London's defining figures, Mary Quant, who made history with the miniskirt, slashed hemlines, and transformed more than fashion, for herself, for her friends, and for a generation.

""A lively, entertaining window into the story behind the styles, expectations, and new freedoms that reshaped women's lives on both sides of the Atlantic.""-Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Madam Secretary

Post-war London is a city in flux, with burned-out buildings serving as vivid reminders of the past. But beneath those scars is a sense of resurging optimism. Chrissie Walker, a new student at Goldsmiths arts college, feels it keenly. So does Mary Quant, the auburn-haired classmate who becomes Chrissie's best friend.

Like Chrissie, Mary wants more from life than to nab a husband and settle down. Though shy, Mary shows her daring in subtle ways, including her home-sewn clothes. Designed to run and move in, her outfits inspire Chrissie and others to reinvent their own style. They also catch the eye of charismatic fellow student Alexander Plunket Greene, who becomes Mary's partner and helps fund the opening of Bazaar, a King's Road shop that marks the beginning of an empire.

Dresses with ever-rising hemlines, skinny-rib sweaters and Peter Pan collars, boldly patterned tights and scarves-Mary Quant's ""Chelsea look"" becomes a sensation among socialites, working-class girls, and everyone in between. As the miniskirt becomes a global phenomenon, Mary Quant ignites a fashion revolution that transforms everyone in its orbit-including Chrissie, who must reconcile her own ambitions with her friend's fame, debutante Daphne, whose life opens up in unexpected ways, and Fern, an aspiring model who will become an icon.

In the years that follow, each will deal with the public and personal challenges faced by unconventional women willing to break the rules-and in the process, transform the world.

By: Catherine Lloyd
Imprint: Kensington Publishing
Country of Publication: United States
Dimensions: Height: 210mm, Width: 140mm,
Weight: 369g
ISBN: 9781496756619
ISBN 10: 1496756614
Pages: 352
Publication Date: 30 June 2026
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Forthcoming

Catherine Lloyd is the acclaimed author of Regency-set historical mysteries, including the Kurland St. Mary Mystery series and the Miss Morton Mysteries. Born just outside London, England into a large family of dreamers, artists, and history lovers, she holds a master's degree in history from the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. She currently lives with her family in the UK and can be found online at Catherine-Lloyd.com.

Reviews for Chelsea Girls

Praise for Chelsea Girls: “An atmospheric portrait of an era of upheaval in London, this novel brings to vivid life the intersection of fashion, celebrity, and commerce surrounding the rise of Mary Quant, examining how class, sexism, and the sustaining force of female friendship shaped women’s paths toward independence and success. Lloyd gifts readers with a lively, entertaining window into the story behind the styles, expectations, and new freedoms that reshaped women’s lives on both sides of the Atlantic.” —Stephanie Dray, New York Times bestselling author of Becoming Madam Secretary