British fashion designer Antony Price, who has worked with the likes of David Bowie, The Rolling Stones and Roxy Music, has died aged 80.
Price designed the jacket Bowie wore in the music video for ‘As The World Falls Down’ in 1986. He also created the trousers Mick Jagger donned during the Stones’ ‘Gimme Shelter’ tour in 1969.
The legendary designer is also known for his sculptured silhouettes and theatrical styles, such as the pastel suits Duran Duran wore in the visuals for ‘Rio’.
In a statement from the office of Bryan Ferry, Alex Fury noted Price’s “ground-breaking relationship with musicians”, calling him “one of the most significant and influential British fashion designers of the last century”.
“Price’s work with Roxy Music was the first time a fashion designer had collaborated with musicians to refine their visual iconography as a key part of their creative expression, and established a template still shaping both music and fashion industries today,” it continued.
The message went on to praise Price’s “unparalleled flair for showmanship to create exceptional clothes that would help shape the course of fashion, and collaboration that would shift culture”.
Price was known as ‘the frock surgeon’ for the sculptural quality of his clothes, and once described his work as “pure art, crafted around a 22-inch zip”.
The statement cited “exaggerated shoulders, hips and breasts, minimising waists, idealising the form and creating unreal silhouettes reminiscent of comic-book heroes and Hollywood idols”.
Sharing a tribute on Instagram, Duran Duran’s Nick Rhodes said he was “deeply saddened to hear that [his] very dear friend Antony Price, passed away yesterday”.
“He was a visionary fashion designer, with extraordinary technical skills. Nobody did glam better than Antony,” he continued.
“His distinctive creations were unique and striking. Whilst he rarely received the recognition he deserved from the fashion media, his notable clientele and many other designers all knew Antony was a genius, a cut above the rest.”
Born in Keighley, Yorkshire, in 1945, Price studied at the Bradford School Of Art before attending the Royal College Of Art’s Fashion School in London, graduating in 1968. That same year, he began working for the era-defining store Stirling Cooper.
Last month, Price made a return to the catwalk after a 35-year absence in London. Here, he dressed Lily Allen in a corseted dress titled ‘Avenge’ (via AnOther) as part of a partnership with fashion brand 16Arlington. This would be his final show.
The British Fashion Council hailed Price’s “instinct flair and a deep love of clothes”, saying that he “helped define a moment when London style was fearless and full of attitude”. They called him a “true original”.
“His work blurred glamour and rebellion and he dressed a generation of artists, performers and creatives who used fashion as a tool of self-expression,” the message added.
In the 1990s, Price started working on pieces for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, including ensembles for her US tour after assuming the title.
