Ossie Clark
(1942 - 1996)
Raymond (Ossie) Clark was born on June 9, 1942 in Liverpool, England. In 1958 he enrolled at the Regional College of Art in Manchester; the only male student in the fashion course. Clark learned pattern cutting, construction, tailoring, and
glove making. Clark attended a postgraduate course in fashion design at the Royal College of Art in London in 1962.
Ossie Clark, was known as the King of King's Road; he rose to fame during the 1960s. He graduated at a time when London was entering a period of international popuplarity for its designs for the youth market. After his graduation in 1965, Clark began designing for Alice Pollock, part owner of the boutique Quorum in Kensington. In 1966 Clark’s “Hoopla dress,” (a short shift cut to fit without darts, influenced by John Kloss), was featured in Vogue. In 1967, Clark designed the rocker jackets and culottes that defined the look of the “Chelsea Girls” like Patti Harrison, Anita Pallenberg, Marianne Faithfull, Amanda Lear and Jane Rainey.
Clark is probably best known for his clinging crêpe and jersey dresses with plunging necklines, figure-hugging waists, and swirling skirts. Innovations in terms of cut included suits with elbow-length tight-fitting sleeves over full long-sleeved blouses. In the late 1960s, he used exotic materials such as snakeskin, feathers, metallic prints and also fabrics like chiffon, satin, crepe, tweed and furs. In 1967, Clark dropped his hemlines, shifting the focus to the wearer's bosom and shoulders, back, or waist. In 1968 Vogue featured his tailored redingote in a new "maxi" length.
In 1970 Clark was invited to design a ready-to-wear collection by the French manufacturer Mendes, to be distributed in France and the United States. It was launched at the Musée du Louvre on April 22, 1971 and had great reviews. In 1969, Clark was awarded the Bath Museum of Costume Dress of the Year award.
Clark's early success did not last, shortly after separating from business partner Alice Pollock and divorcing his wife, Clark declared bankruptcy in 1983.
In 1996, Ossie Clark was stabbed to death by a former lover, Diego Cogolato.
