The Fashion Icon Antony Price, Famed for Designing for David Bowie and Duran Duran, Dies at 80.
Fashion legend Antony Price, the influential style architect who crafted many legendary styles worn by musical icons like Bowie and members of Roxy Music, as well as Queen Camilla, has sadly died aged 80.
His reputation was built on his defined forms and dramatic aesthetics, including the pastel suits that appeared in the pop-rock group Duran Duran's seminal music video for "the song Rio".
"They honored him as a 'visionary' and a 'kind, intelligent and razor-witted friend,' Duran Duran shared a message online."
His passing follows just weeks after he presented his latest collection in London, his first in more than 30 years. The performer Lily Allen walked in a dress evoking the notorious black velvet "so-called 'revenge dress'" historically worn by Diana, Princess of Wales.
A Pioneering Career
A native of Yorkshire, born in 1945, Price headed for London during the sixties to enroll at the prestigious Royal College of Art.
A year after graduating, he started his work in menswear at Stirling Copper and was responsible for the form-fitting, button-fly pants that rock legend Mick Jagger sported during The Rolling Stones' "Gimme Shelter" tour in the late sixties.
He established his eponymous line in 1979 and staged his first fashion show a year later. The show was launched by creations worn by the famed model Jerry Hall, who also wore the marriage dress Price specifically designed for her nuptials with Sir Mick Jagger.
Partnerships with Stars
A key creative partner of the late David Bowie, Price designed the iconic jacket the singer wore for his "As The World Falls Down" music video in 1986.
His characteristic talent to blend tailoring for all genders along with his expert craftsmanship in crafting sculptural silhouettes cemented his status as a "genuine original," according to the British Fashion Council.
By the 1990s, he began working on pieces for Camilla, now Queen Consort, including several ensembles for her tour of the United States after becoming Duchess.
Following a profession lasting over fifty years, Price presented his final runway show in London last month in collaboration with the label 16Arlington.
- Architectural Forms: Central to his design philosophy.
- Dramatic Impact: Shaping the look of rock and pop.
- Boundary-Pushing Tailoring: Merging menswear with womenswear.
- Working with Stars and Royalty: Spanning iconic musicians and members of the royal family.
The fashion world says farewell to a true visionary whose impact on the visual landscape of music remains deeply ingrained.
