Ossie Clark

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Ossie Clark was an English fashion designer who was dubbed 'The King of King's Road' when he emerged on the fashion scene during the late 1960s. Having graduated from the Royal College of Art in London with distinction in 1965, he was photographed by David Bailey for Vogue, with the model Chrissie Shrimpton wearing his Robert Indiana op art-print dress. Within a few years, Clark's style had evolved, relying on dramatic sleeves, peek-a-boo cut-outs, flowing skirts and a defined waistline to create a flattering, overtly feminine silhouette.

Clark's great idol was the famous dancer Nijinsky and his love of dance inspired his clothes to be free moving and not to restrict the female form. According to a number of sources, his clothes were intoxicating to wear - making the wearer feel omnipotent and feminine because they were so complimentary to the body.

Defining the free spirited era of the late 60s onto the 1970s, Ossie Clark’s pieces were known for their wide fluted sleeves, long flowing skirts, and ethereal patterns and prints.

Throughout his career, Clark was not just popular in London, but also in New York and Paris. He dressed the rich and famous who inhabited the beau monde of the late 1960s and early 1970s of London. His clients and fans included Liza Minelli (she wore Ossie Clark in the 1972 film Cabaret), Marianne Faithfull, Suzy Menkes, Mick Jagger and Twiggy. Manolo Blahnik has said of Ossie Clark's work: "He created an incredible magic with the body and achieved what fashion should do—produce desire."

 

The new collection by Ossie Clark x Primrose Park London will be available online 7th February, please feel free to call us in the meantime if you have any questions about the collaboration.

 

 

Author:
Jade Brock