The Fashion Icon Antony Price, Famed for Designing for Bowie and Duran Duran, Dies at 80.
The British designer Antony Price, the visionary British fashion designer behind a series of unforgettable images associated with musical icons like Bowie and members of Roxy Music, as well as Queen Camilla, has died at the age of 80.
He was celebrated for his defined forms and dramatic aesthetics, such as the soft-colored suits that became famous from rock band Duran Duran's classic music video for "their hit Rio".
"They honored him as a 'visionary' and a 'kind, intelligent and razor-witted friend,' the band released a statement on social media."
Price's death comes just weeks after he unveiled his latest collection in London, his first in more than 30 years. The performer Lily Allen modelled a dress evoking the notorious black velvet "revenge dress" once worn by Princess Diana.
A Pioneering Career
Hailing from Yorkshire, where he was born in 1945, Price relocated to London at the start of the 1960s to study at the renowned Royal College of Art.
Shortly after his graduation, he commenced his career designing men's fashion at the label Stirling Copper and was responsible for the tight, button-detailed trousers that rock legend Mick Jagger famously wore during The Rolling Stones' Gimme Shelter tour in 1969.
He established his eponymous line in 1979 and staged his first fashion show a year later. The show opened with outfits on model Jerry Hall, who also wore the marriage dress Price created for her for her marriage to Sir Mick Jagger.
Collaborations with Icons
A long-time collaborator of musical chameleon David Bowie, Price designed the distinctive jacket the star wore for his "As The World Falls Down" music video in 1986.
His trademark skill to blend tailoring for all genders along with his masterful technique in designing body-hugging looks made him a "genuine original," in the words of the UK's fashion authority.
During the nineties, he commenced designing ensembles for Camilla, now Queen Consort, such as several ensembles for her US tour after becoming Duchess.
Following a profession lasting over fifty years, Price presented his final runway show in London just last month in conjunction with the label 16Arlington.
- Defined Shapes: The core of his aesthetic.
- Dramatic Impact: Influencing music videos and stagewear.
- Genre-Blending Design: Creating a unique, androgynous style.
- Clients from Stage to Palace: Including music legends and the future Queen Consort.
The fashion world says farewell to a genuine innovator whose influence on style and culture remains profoundly felt.
