Antony Price, the man who established fashion in the music industry, died on Tuesday. He may have been unknown to the general public, but he was very much appreciated in the scene. Price was 80 years old.
In the 1970s, the British fashion designer brought the superstars of the band Roxy Music into the spotlight with his precise tailoring. His designs were as exciting as the vibrant and fashionable era itself. He also styled the pin-up icons on the record sleeves, including Amanda Lear, Marilyn Cole and Jerry Hall. His work was so outstanding that his name was mentioned – for the first time ever – on the albums.
Speaking to Vogue Business, filmmaker and producer Baillie Walsh, one of Price’s mentees, describes him as someone who lived in his own world and was not a down-to-earth person. This is exactly what allowed him to create new theatrical fantasy worlds that corresponded to the disco and funk era. The likes of David Bowie and Mick Jagger were able to be themselves in a Price creation. The same was true for the supermodels of the eighties and nineties, almost all of whom wore one of his pieces at one time or another.
No one knew who Price really was, Walsh said. He was often quiet and unsure about his own work. Behind the scenes, he managed to give a modern interpretation of ‘glamour’ based on the solid design principles of tailoring. The culmination of this was the opening of Plaza, his futuristic store on King’s Road in 1979. There, clothes literally came out of the wall once you ordered the right size.
Price also took care of the boutique’s furnishings. He designed the logo and advertisements with the slogan that would remain on everyone’s lips: ‘Clothes for studs and starlets’. With such visionary ideas, Price is often considered a pioneer of ‘cult’ and ‘camp’.
His last glamorous appearance was at the show of the British label 16Arlington, for which he designed a collection together with creative director Marco Capaldo. Singer Lily Allen also made her catwalk debut in a deep black cocktail ensemble with hints of vaudeville. The designer seemed to be saying that he wanted to continue after a thirty-year break from design. But that shouldn’t happen anymore.
The reaction to his death showed how much Price meant to the fashion and music industries, including as a loyal friend to, among others, the milliner Philip Treacy and the British new wave band Duran Duran. The latter wrote on Instagram: “He was a visionary fashion designer with unrivaled technical skills. No one did ‘glamour’ better than Antony.”
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