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. 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 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. 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 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.