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Ossie Clark was born Raymond Clark in Liverpool on 9 June 1942. During the war he was evacuated to Oswaldtwistle in Lancashire, hence his nickname 'Ossie'. With guidance from his mother, Ossie was making clothes by the age of ten. At school his art teacher encouraged his drawing skills. These helped Clark to gain a place at the Regional College of Art in Manchester in 1958. There he attracted a group of bright, talented friends, including his future wife Celia Birtwell and the artist David Hockney.
In 1962 Ossie Clark won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art in London. He graduated in 1965 with a first-class degree - the only one awarded that year - and three months later his graduation collection appeared in British Vogue. Simultaneously, Clark began designing for Alice Pollock's shop Quorum, which featured the work of many talented young designers.
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Dress 1966Ossie Clark's graduation collection featured in the August 1965 issue of Vogue. This important exposure coincided with his first designs for Alice Pollock's Chelsea boutique Quorum. The blue and yellow minidress pictured is from this first Quorum collection. Wool |
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Fashion sketch 1962This sketch for two blouse designs is one of 25 that won Clark a scholarship to the Royal College of Art. It demonstrates his delight in details such as the hip tie and bib-shaped ruffle. The trim silhouettes show his ability to accentuate the female form. Sketch reproduced with kind permission of Celia Birtwell |
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Textile 1966Ascher Textiles produced luxury fabrics for the fashion industry. They commissioned designs from leading international artists, such as Lucian Freud and Henri Matisse. For this paper textile Celia Birtwell created a simple pattern of organic forms. Printed paper |
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Photograph 1961Ossie Clark at a part at the Manchester Regional College of Art. Clark is with his friend, the artist Mo McDermott who is wearing one of his designs. Lent be Celia Birtwell |