Ossie Clark and Celie Birtwell

No discussion of Ossie Clark is complete without his partner, Celia Birtwell. Ossie's humble beginnings, from his birth during an air-raid, to his scholarship at the Royal College of Art, were enhanced and launched to fame with Celia's textiles. Ossie won the attention of Alice Pollack with his original designs the very year he graduated, but it was Celia's textiles, her unique, organic designs, that won them both a place in the spotlight.

Ossie's first collection in Quorum, Alice Pollack's shop, was simple, colored mostly cream and white. Alice, wanting to add something to his work, commissioned Celia Birtwell, his former classmate. Ossie's love of dance and movement was reflected it the free-flowing designs of his dresses, intended to allow freedom of movement. The 1970's fashion world would be deeply influenced by this. Celia's textiles feature leaves, flowers, and Art Deco Influence in their designs. Unlike some other designers of the era, the pair were known for their muted color selections. They were unafraid to mix patterns in their designs, creating richly elaborate color schemes on simple dresses layered with long coats.

During the 1970's the couple, married by then, collaborated and produced designs ranging from softly flowing floor length gowns to a snakeskin jumpsuit worn by Mick Jagger. Mick and Bianca Jagger were frequent clients, along with other well-known fashion lovers such as Twiggy, Jean Shimpton and Penelope Tree. Ossie's style expanded to incorporate snakeskin, eel skin, and leather, but he remained best known for his use of chiffon and handkerchief hems. Unfortunately, although he and Alice Pollack had started an immensely popular design house, they were not the best business people, and they became bankrupt. Ossie was approached by Radley, who bought out Alice, and Ossie began to design a collection called "Ossie Clark for Radley". These designs were much more affordable than the haute couture, and brought his work to the masses.

In the later part of the 70's Ossie's drug use and lifestyle led to his divorce, and to his decline as a designer through diminished capacity. As the punk look came into style, his softly romantic look faded out of fashion and Ossie himself left the fashion scene in London. Tragically, in the late 1990's, Ossie Clark was murdered.