The Fashion Icon Antony Price, Famed for Styling Iconic Acts Like Bowie and Duran Duran, Has Died Aged 80.
The British designer Antony Price, the groundbreaking British fashion designer who crafted many legendary styles associated with David Bowie, Roxy Music, and Queen Camilla, has died at the age of 80.
Price was best known for his architectural shapes and performative fashion, most notably the light-hued ensembles that became famous from the iconic band Duran Duran's classic music video for "their hit Rio".
"Remembering him as a 'visionary' and a 'kind, intelligent and razor-witted friend,' the group posted a remembrance online."
His passing follows less than a month after he debuted his latest collection in London, his first in more than 30 years. Artist Lily Allen walked in a dress evoking the notorious black velvet "revenge dress" made famous by Princess Diana.
A Pioneering Career
Hailing from Yorkshire, where he was born in 1945, Price relocated to London during the sixties to study at the esteemed Royal College of Art.
Upon completing his studies, he began designing men's fashion at the company Stirling Copper and was the creator of the body-hugging, buttoned trousers that rock legend Mick Jagger wore during the band's "Gimme Shelter" tour in 1969.
He launched his own brand in 1979 and staged his first fashion show a year later. The show featured as its opener outfits on supermodel Jerry Hall, who later wore the marriage dress Price designed for her for her marriage to Sir Mick Jagger.
Partnerships with Stars
A frequent collaborator of musical chameleon David Bowie, Price designed the memorable jacket the singer wore for his "As The World Falls Down" music video in 1986.
His trademark skill to blend menswear and womenswear along with his expert craftsmanship in designing sculptural silhouettes cemented his status as a "one-of-a-kind talent," in the words of the British Fashion Council.
By the 1990s, he started creating outfits for Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, including various looks for her tour of the United States after assuming the title.
After a career spanning half a century, Price presented his final runway show in London just last month in conjunction with the design house 16Arlington.
- Defined Shapes: The core of his aesthetic.
- Theatrical Flair: Defining an era of music fashion.
- Genre-Blending Design: Blurring lines between clothing for men and women.
- Clients from Stage to Palace: Spanning iconic musicians and members of the royal family.
The fashion world laments the passing to a authentic original whose influence on the visual landscape of music remains deeply ingrained.
