Like Halston, British fashion brand Ossie Clark was looking to revamp and re-launch their line. An undeniably influential label in the sixties and seventies, it was founded by Raymond “Ossie” Clark, who died in 1996 at the age of 54 when he was brutally stabbed to death by his former companion at his home in a public housing project in West London. The brand, which re-launched just a year and a half ago, has sadly just announced that they will be closing shop. The reason cited? Unsurprisingly, “market conditions.”
The re-launch was financed by brothers Marc and Julian Worth after Marc purchased the iconic brand in November of 2007. The house’s creative director was, until March, Central Saint Martins graduate Avsh Alom Gur (he resigned to focus on his own line), and the last staged Ossie Clark show took place in February 2008 at the Serpentine Gallery during London Fashion Week.
The show received mixed reviews. Over the course of his career, Clark outfitted countless models and celebrities. Among them, the Rolling Stones, Elizabeth Taylor, Cecil Beaton, Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, Twiggy, and Talitha Getty. He retired in 1981 after declaring bankruptcy.
Despite the unfortunate news, Ossie Clark will live on. Vintage Clark pieces are still widely sought after by prominent collectors, and celebrities like Kate Moss, Zandra Rhodes, and Emma Watson have all been recently photographed wearing vintage Ossie Clark.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
