Antony Price, designer for rock musicians, has died

Antony Price, the man who brought fashion to the forefront of the music industry, died on Tuesday. While unknown to the general public, he was by no means unloved. He was 80 years old.

In the seventies, the British tailor put the superstars of Roxy Music in the spotlight with his finely cut tailoring, which was as exciting as the vibrant and fashionable era itself. He also styled the pin-up icons on album covers, including Amanda Lear, Marilyn Cole and Jerry Hall. He was so successful that the designer's name was featured on the records for the first time.

In an interview with Vogue Business, filmmaker and producer Baillie Walsh, a mentee of Price, described him as someone who lived in his own world and did not have his feet on the ground. This quality enabled him to create the new, theatrical fantasy worlds that the disco and funk era called for. Figures like David Bowie and Mick Jagger could be themselves in a Price creation. The same was true for the supermodels of the eighties and nineties, almost all of whom wore his designs at some point.

Walsh stated that no one knew who Price truly was. He was often quiet and insecure about his own work. From behind the scenes, he gave glamour a contemporary twist, founded on the solid principles of tailoring. This culminated in the opening of Plaza, his futuristic store on King’s Road in 1979, where clothes would literally emerge from the wall after a customer ordered the correct size.

Price also designed the boutique's interior, created the logo and the advertisements featuring the legendary tagline: “Clothes for studs and starlets”. With such visionary ideas, Price is often seen as a forerunner of “cult” and “camp”.

His last glamorous appearance was at the show for British label 16Arlington, for which he co-designed a collection with creative director Marco Capaldo. The show featured guest star, singer Lily Allen, who made her runway debut in a jet-black cocktail ensemble with hints of vaudeville. He seemed to be signalling his desire to continue after a thirty-year design hiatus. It was not to be.

Reactions to his death reveal that Price was never playing a part; he was simply himself. He was also a loyal friend to milliner Philip Treacy and the British new wave band Duran Duran, among others. The latter wrote on Instagram: “He was a visionary fashion designer with unparalleled technical skills. Nobody did glam better than Antony.”