Biography
Raymond Oswald Clark also known as Ossie Clark was born in Lancashire, England in 1942. He was the youngest of six children. His mother and father both somewhat in the fashion industry. It was a teacher who noticed his talent and told his mother that " You've got a very talented son. He studied fashion at the Royal College of Art in London. His wife was a textile designer Celia Birtwell, whom later left his from his out of control behavior. F13)rom the mid 1960s to the mid 1970's Ossie Clark was at the pinnacle of British Fashion, with an international reputation as the London designer. (Clark 13). Ossie was a live wire: volatile,endearing, acerbic, difficult, brilliance packed into a small frame. (Clark 15) He started a shop called Quorm in Chleasa London, just off the King's Road at the heart of swinging London. He eventually had two children with his wife. At the downfall of his career he was broke and living in tiny public housing doing drugs.Although this was a rough time for Clark he was a strong enough person to rebuild himself. He was then noticed by famous designers Christian Lacroix and John Galliano. Although he had much success, he couldnt escape who he was and the people he was involved with and he was murered by a drug-addict he previously lived with(Stegemeyer 86).
Critical Analysis
Ossie had magic and his cutting was lovely and the femininity was brilliant; he understood women because he was very feminine himself.(Clark 33) When i did start to make clothes, the mini-sirt had become so ridiculously short that i noticed women, when they went to sit down, would make this movement, holding on to their him. I thought: "This is wrong," so I watched body language and I think that's where my success came from, anticipating what women wanted. (Clark 76) He was the one who created the "midi" and then people followed it. He created dresses for, "Twiggy, Brigitte Bardot, and Britt Ekland numbering among its customers."(Clark 80)
The zeigiest of his times was during the 1960's when you wanted to be the one who dressed celebrities and rockstars and that is just what he did. "He was entirely in touch with everything that was going on: music, art, politics, film, and photography (Stegemeyer 86)." By him being this well rounded individual it really allowed his aestihic to come through on his designs. He wasnt just influenced by the world around him, he influenced the others with his amazing work.
Clark's success was based on two things; he loved women's bodies and made clothes for them that were sexy but not too obvious.
He was influenced by Vionnet, Chanel and Poiret. His designs included: bias cut bodices, peter pan collars, and then used these ideas and made something from them. He cut directly into the fabric, requiring neither patterns nor templates. Not many designers could design with out patterns. This is something that just Ossie Clark had the ability to do.
His element of designs included plunging necklines, swirling skirts, linen suits, and tight waisted garnets. He is most well known for his jersey dresses and of clinging crepe. He used fabrics such as satin, jersey, chiffon, and crepe. He was very talented to be able to design a crisp suit that many wanted to buy. By the 1960's is was imperative to his design aesthetic that he used different fabric. He was innovative and started using feathers, metallic prints, and snakeskin. It was this that made him stand out from the others and why we are still able to know his designs. (WWD)
The zeigiest of his times was during the 1960's when you wanted to be the one who dressed celebrities and rockstars and that is just what he did. "He was entirely in touch with everything that was going on: music, art, politics, film, and photography (Stegemeyer 86)." By him being this well rounded individual it really allowed his aestihic to come through on his designs. He wasnt just influenced by the world around him, he influenced the others with his amazing work.
Clark's success was based on two things; he loved women's bodies and made clothes for them that were sexy but not too obvious.
He was influenced by Vionnet, Chanel and Poiret. His designs included: bias cut bodices, peter pan collars, and then used these ideas and made something from them. He cut directly into the fabric, requiring neither patterns nor templates. Not many designers could design with out patterns. This is something that just Ossie Clark had the ability to do.
His element of designs included plunging necklines, swirling skirts, linen suits, and tight waisted garnets. He is most well known for his jersey dresses and of clinging crepe. He used fabrics such as satin, jersey, chiffon, and crepe. He was very talented to be able to design a crisp suit that many wanted to buy. By the 1960's is was imperative to his design aesthetic that he used different fabric. He was innovative and started using feathers, metallic prints, and snakeskin. It was this that made him stand out from the others and why we are still able to know his designs. (WWD)
Analysis for Future Trends
Deigners still follow Ossie Clarks name and trends. He was the one who sat the beatles at the front row of his fashion shows and not many people can say they did that in their lifetime. He set precedents that designers still try and follow (Stegemeyer 86). He had the ability to understand form and proportion and to achieve it though cut and fabric (Clark 16) It is much like Madeline Vionnet principal elements. London fashion tycoons Marc and Julian Worth relaunced the Ossie Clark label in 2008 but announced plans to close to July 2009 (Stegemeyer 86).
Ossie Clark will live on for many years to come because as we see fashion evolving this time period is where fashion is at today. It is his aesthetic that we see in stores at the moment. Things that don't necessarily fit very tightly around the woman's body but more hang from a woman's curves. I do own many of his influenced designs. His clothes have a certain fit. He knows body types and what a woman really is. He will continue to influence us for many more years to come because fashion always repeates itself.
Ossie Clark will live on for many years to come because as we see fashion evolving this time period is where fashion is at today. It is his aesthetic that we see in stores at the moment. Things that don't necessarily fit very tightly around the woman's body but more hang from a woman's curves. I do own many of his influenced designs. His clothes have a certain fit. He knows body types and what a woman really is. He will continue to influence us for many more years to come because fashion always repeates itself.
Works Cited
Clark, Ossie,and Judith Watt. Ossie Clark: 1965-1974. London: V&A Publications, 2003. Print.
"Fashion, Beauty and Retail News - WWD.com." Fashion, Beauty and Retail News - WWD.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2012. <http://www.wwd.com>.
Stegemeyer, Anne, and Holly Alford. Who's who in fashion. 5th ed. New York: Fairchild Publications, 1988. Print.
"WGSN Fashion Trend Forecasting & Analysis | WGSN." WGSN Fashion Trend Forecasting & Analysis | WGSN. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2012. <http://www.wgsn.com.>
"YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com>.
"Fashion, Beauty and Retail News - WWD.com." Fashion, Beauty and Retail News - WWD.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2012. <http://www.wwd.com>.
Stegemeyer, Anne, and Holly Alford. Who's who in fashion. 5th ed. New York: Fairchild Publications, 1988. Print.
"WGSN Fashion Trend Forecasting & Analysis | WGSN." WGSN Fashion Trend Forecasting & Analysis | WGSN. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Sept. 2012. <http://www.wgsn.com.>
"YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Sept. 2012. <http://www.youtube.com>.