Click for larger image

OSSIE CLARK AT THE V&A 15 July 2003 - 2 May 2004 The Victoria & Albert Museum Cromwell Road London SW7 2RL Entrance to the V&A is FREE. Telephone: 020 7942 2000 www.vam.ac.uk

The V&A celebrates the work of Ossie Clark, one of the most influential British fashion designers of the 60s and 70s with an exhibition that runs from 15 July 2003 - 2 May 2004. This mini-retrospective, featuring more than 60 garments, along with sketchbooks and photographs, will cover the period 1965-1974 when Clark’s designs helped define the spirit of fashionable London.

Ossie Clark was a key figure in the world of photographers, designers, rock stars and other celebrities who took London by storm in the 60s and 70s. The famous and the fashionable wore Ossie Clark’s designs including Marianne Faithfull, Jimi Hendrix, Patti Boyd and Talitha Getty. He created jumpsuits for Mick Jagger, silk dresses for Bianca Jagger and dressed Eartha Kitt in snakeskin. Fashion icons like Twiggy, Veruschka, Jean Shrimpton and Penelope Tree modelled the clothes while David Bailey and Guy Bourdin took the photographs.

From the maxi skirt to the ‘nude’ look and the trouser suit, Clark’s designs set new trends. Ossie Clark had the ability to work expertly with a variety of textiles including wool tweed, silk chiffon, crêpe and snakeskin. In addition, his collaboration with his wife, the textile and interior designer Celia Birtwell, resulted in some of his best known and most popular creations.

Ossie Clark’s designs inspired his contemporaries and examples of his work are still highly sought after. His ideas continue to influence new generations of fashion designers including Prada, Miu Miu, John Galliano, Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney. The display will trace the designer’s influence from the 1960s, when his work helped establish London as a major fashion centre, through to today.

The display will be divided into five sections –

Collaboration with Celia Birtwell
Clark used Birtwell’s beautiful printed textiles to create elegant, feminine, superbly-cut clothes, a number of which will be on view.

Tailoring
The tweed coats, fitted jackets and trouser suits on display will demonstrate Clark’s craftsmanship and expert cutting.

Originality
Clark trademarks such as trousers for women, the 'nude look', the midi and maxi skirts and decorative elements such as fringing, epitomise his innovative design ideas.

Clients
Features photographs and garments worn by some of Ossie Clark’s most celebrated clients, including Twiggy’s fur-lined snakeskin coat, Talitha Getty’s red crêpe evening dress and the dress worn by Celia Birtwell in David Hockney’s famous double portrait ‘Mr and Mrs Clark and Percy’ (1970).

Mass-market appeal
Examples of Clark’s affordable, mass-market clothing designs for the Radley label will be on view. These will be shown along with sketches, the original designs that inspired them and costing sheets that show how these designs were translated into high fashions for the masses.

The Ossie Clark display will also be on show at the Museum of Costume in Bath May - November 2004.

The first book to focus exclusively on the work of Ossie Clark was published on l5 July 2003 to coincide with the display. Written by Judith Watt, 'Ossie Clark 1965-1974' contain over 100 colour and black & white photos including fashion shoots, portraits and documentary photos, plus new interviews with models, friends and colleagues.

Click for larger image

OSSIE CLARK 1965-1974 By Judith Watt Hardcover 128 pages (July 2003) Publisher: V & A Publications Guide Price: £17.47 ISBN: 1851774076 Click here to buy this book today!

Top