How to do modern Bohemian // Primrose Park X Ossie Clark

August 20 2019 – Mercantile London

Born in England in 1942, Raymond Clark, (and nicknamed Ossie) was to become one of the most influential designers and figureheads of the sixties.
With a talent that was noticed from an early age, Ossie was encouraged in his creativity throughout his school life and after leaving secondary school, he attended art college in Manchester . It was here that he met Celia Birtwell who would go on to become creative partner to Ossie, designing the prints for his collections,a collaboration that would last for the majority of his career and come to define the bohemian spirit of the era.

Attending the Royal College of Art in London Ossie achieved a first-class degree in 1965 and his final year fashion show at the RCA was a huge success. Finding favour with the UK fashion press, in August that year he had his first feature in British Vogue and stores began to stock his collections.
The period from 1965 to 1974 is regarded as his most influential, and he was christened the ‘King of the Kings Road’. During this time he had many famous clients, especially from the world of music, dressing the famous faces of the London scene, including the Stones, the Beatles, Bianca Jagger, Patti Boyd and Marianne Faithful in his free flowing yet flattering silhouettes.

Now his legacy is back, with a wealth of design houses drawing on his vintage aesthetic and the Ossie Clarke shape, one of which is Anna Park – founder of British label Primrose Park London. This exciting collaboration fuses Ossie Clark's iconic shapes with Primrose Park London's exclusive prints, renewing the genius of Ossie Clark for a contemporary audience.

Standout pieces include the Loopy Lou – a pure Ossie silhouette with slit neckline and flattering tie waist and sleeve and the Florrie skirt- an ankle grazing maxi that makes the transition from the late summer days into the autumn chill easy.