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Artist Info
Ossie Clark
Ossie Clark’s designs were characterized by whimsy and romanticism—as well as a heavy dose of sex appeal. Clark was inspired by fashions of the past, and, unlike many designers in the 1960s, he frequently cut his fabrics on the bias in order to emphasize womanly curves. Although he is best known for his slinky, sensuous dresses, Clark also made impeccably tailored suits. “I’m a master cutter,” he liked to declare, and his many important clients agreed.
Raymond “Ossie” Clark was born in Liverpool, England in 1942. Shortly after his birth, his family relocated to Oswaldwistle, the village that inspired his nickname. Clark began to make clothes when he was just a child, and he later studied fashion in Manchester. In 1962, his innate talent for patternmaking and construction led to a postgraduate fashion course at London’s prestigious Royal College of Art. In addition to furthering his technical abilities, Clark’s studies at the RCA introduced him to the work of great couturiers such as Madeleine Vionnet and Charles James.
The designer graduated in 1965, and soon began to sell his clothing at London’s fashionable Quorum boutique. Clark worked in tandem with Celia Birtwell, a textile designer whom he had first met in Manchester. Birtwell’s lively prints informed the cut of Clark’s garments, and they formed a close professional and personal relationship. In 1969, they married.
Although Clark’s designs for Quorum were tremendously successful, he was not an astute businessman. The designer was steeped in debt by the late 1960s, and he signed a deal with Radley Fashions to market his creations to a wider audience. Although the arrangement temporarily relieved Clark of his financial woes, he was increasingly beset with personal problems. In addition to his escalating drug use, Birtwell left him in 1975, and Quorum closed its doors that same year. Clark attempted to return to the fashion industry in the decades that followed, but he was largely unsuccessful. In 1996, Clark was stabbed to death by his former lover, Diego Cogolate. Gone but not forgotten, Clark’s valuable work is now cherished by museums and collectors alike.
