Ossie Clark London Debuts Online

The latest reincarnation of Ossie Clark has just been revealed online and I must confess to being quite disappointed. The family of the late Ossie Clark (including Celia Birtwell) always express their disappointment at these new versions of the iconic designs and so I wonder what they make of these? In the past they have deemed it an “exploitation” of the designers name. Ossie Clark London launches in Debenhams next week and has been designed by ex-Vivienne Westwood Nicolas Georgiou. He described the collection saying, “The new range will have all the necessities of on-trend fashion but keeping with the DNA of Ossie Clark. It’s going to be accessible to everyone who loves fashion, bringing them something genuinely unique with beautiful fabrics, a fabulously rich heritage and a wealth of design.”

This latest take on Ossie’s work is available at a more affordable price range than previous attempts. Georgiou explained, “The concept behind this was to rebuild a beautiful label, made available to the masses. Ossie Clark did the same thing himself back in the Sixties and Seventies, when he launched Ossie Clark for Radley, making London style available to thousands by bringing his signature couture look to the high street. The current worldwide economic market is tough and fashion need not be safe or predictable to be affordable.”

The beauty of Ossie’s work lay in the impeccable cut of the dresses. He was such an incredible designer and the way he designed really flattered women. For me, I am not convinced that this collection will pay homage to that legacy. I like a few of the designs, but mainly I think they look cheap and not at all like Ossie’s work. Having said that, I am only basing my opinions on these photos and perhaps a closer look would have better results. I just can’t help but feel that this is one designer who doesn’t need a revival. Am I being too harsh?