British Designer Antony Price, Famed for Creating Looks for Bowie and Duran Duran, Dies at 80.
The British designer Antony Price, the visionary British fashion designer responsible for a series of unforgettable images associated with artists from David Bowie to Roxy Music and even royalty like Queen Camilla, has died aged 80.
Price was best known for his architectural shapes and dramatic aesthetics, such as the light-hued ensembles that became famous from the iconic band Duran Duran's landmark music video for "the song 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 just weeks after he presented his most recent collection in London, his first in more than 30 years. Singer Lily Allen modelled a dress that paid homage to the iconic black velvet "so-called 'revenge dress'" made famous by Princess Diana.
A Lasting Legacy
A native of Yorkshire, born in 1945, Price headed for London in the early 1960s to study at the prestigious Royal College of Art.
A year after graduating, he started his work in menswear at Stirling Copper and was behind the form-fitting, button-fly pants that The Rolling Stones' frontman Mick Jagger wore during The Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter tour in 1969.
He launched his own brand in 1979 and held his debut runway presentation a year later. The show opened with creations worn by model Jerry Hall, who later wore the marriage dress Price specifically designed for her wedding to Sir Mick Jagger.
Collaborations with Icons
A frequent collaborator of musical chameleon David Bowie, Price created the iconic jacket the singer wore for his "the song As The World Falls Down" music video in 1986.
His trademark skill to merge tailoring for all genders along with his technical proficiency in shaping body-hugging looks made him a "one-of-a-kind talent," in the words of the British Fashion Council.
By the 1990s, he began working on ensembles for the then-Duchess of Cornwall, Camilla, such as various looks for her American tour following her marriage.
Following a profession lasting half a century, Price presented his final runway show in London last month in partnership with the label 16Arlington.
- Defined Shapes: A hallmark of his work.
- Performative Style: Defining an era of music fashion.
- Genre-Blending Design: Creating a unique, androgynous style.
- Clients from Stage to Palace: Including music legends and the future Queen Consort.
Design circles says farewell to a authentic original whose influence on the visual landscape of music remains profoundly felt.
