The Fashion Icon Antony Price, Famed for Creating Looks for Bowie and Duran Duran, Passes Away at Age 80.
The British designer Antony Price, the groundbreaking British fashion designer responsible for a series of unforgettable images favored by artists from David Bowie to Roxy Music and even royalty like Queen Camilla, has passed away at 80 years old.
His reputation was built on his defined forms and dramatic aesthetics, such as the soft-colored suits that appeared in rock band Duran Duran's landmark music video for "Rio".
"They honored him as a 'visionary' and a 'kind, intelligent and razor-witted friend,' the band released a statement across their platforms."
His passing follows shortly after he debuted his newest line in London, his first in more than 30 years. Singer Lily Allen modelled a dress evoking the famous black velvet "dress" historically worn by Princess Diana.
A Lasting Legacy
A native of Yorkshire, born in 1945, Price moved to London during the sixties to enroll at the renowned Royal College of Art.
A year after graduating, he started his work in men's fashion at the company Stirling Copper and was responsible for the form-fitting, button-fly pants that rock legend Mick Jagger famously wore during the iconic group's "Gimme Shelter" tour in 1969.
He launched his own brand in 1979 and presented his inaugural collection a year later. The show opened with outfits on the famed model Jerry Hall, who also wore the bridal gown Price designed for her for her wedding to Sir Mick Jagger.
Collaborations with Icons
A key creative partner of the late David Bowie, Price created the memorable jacket the star wore for his "the song As The World Falls Down" music video in 1986.
His characteristic talent to fuse tailoring for all genders along with his technical proficiency in designing sculptural silhouettes cemented his status as a "one-of-a-kind talent," according to the British Fashion Council.
By the 1990s, he started creating ensembles for the then-Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, which included various looks for her American tour after assuming the title.
Following a profession lasting more than five decades, Price staged what would be his last show in London last month in collaboration with the design house 16Arlington.
- Architectural Forms: The core of his aesthetic.
- Dramatic Impact: Shaping the look of rock and pop.
- Genre-Blending Design: Blurring lines between clothing for men and women.
- Working with Stars and Royalty: Spanning iconic musicians and members of the royal family.
Design circles mourns the loss to a authentic original whose influence on the visual landscape of music remains deeply ingrained.
