British Designer Antony Price, Famed for Designing for Iconic Acts Like Bowie and Duran Duran, Dies at 80.
Antony Price, the influential British fashion designer behind some of the most iconic looks favored by David Bowie, Roxy Music, and Queen Camilla, has passed away aged 80.
His reputation was built on his sculptured silhouettes and performative fashion, such as the pastel suits that became famous from the pop-rock group Duran Duran's landmark music video for "their hit Rio".
"In a tribute, they called him a 'visionary' and a 'kind, intelligent and razor-witted friend,' the group posted a remembrance on social media."
His passing follows less than a month after he presented his newest line in London, marking his return to the runway after over three decades. The performer Lily Allen modelled a dress evoking the iconic black velvet "revenge dress" once worn by Princess Diana.
A Pioneering Career
A native of Yorkshire, born in 1945, Price relocated to London at the start of the 1960s to enroll at the renowned Royal College of Art.
A year after graduating, he commenced his career designing men's fashion at Stirling Copper and was the creator of the tight, button-detailed trousers that The Rolling Stones' frontman Mick Jagger sported during the iconic group's Gimme Shelter tour in 1969.
He established his eponymous line in 1979 and presented his inaugural collection a year later. The show featured as its opener outfits on supermodel Jerry Hall, who also wore the wedding dress Price specifically designed for her nuptials with Sir Mick Jagger.
Working with Legends
A key creative partner of the late David Bowie, Price was the mind behind the distinctive jacket the star wore for his "As The World Falls Down" music video in 1986.
His trademark skill to merge elements of men's and women's fashion along with his technical proficiency in designing body-hugging looks established him as a "one-of-a-kind talent," as stated by the British Fashion Council.
In the 1990s, he started creating ensembles for the then-Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, including a number of outfits for her American tour after becoming Duchess.
With a vocation that covered half a century, Price held his ultimate fashion presentation in London last month in partnership with the label 16Arlington.
- Sculpted Silhouettes: The core of his aesthetic.
- Theatrical Flair: Defining an era of music fashion.
- Gender-Fluid Fashion: Blurring lines between clothing for men and women.
- A Client List from Rock to Royalty: Spanning iconic musicians and members of the royal family.
Design circles says farewell to a authentic original whose impact on style and culture remains deeply ingrained.
