MR&MRS CLARK Fashion and Prints

The book pays tribute to the iconic “fashion duo” Ossie Clark and Celia Birtwell, two British creatives whose artistic and personal partnership—short but intense—gave rise to an unmistakable style that left a mark on London during the period between Mary Quant’s miniskirt and the subversive punk movement of Malcolm MacLaren and Vivienne Westwood, from 1965 to 1974.

Ossie and Celia: it is the story of a special chemistry, one of the first artistic couples where a fashion designer and a textile designer worked together, complementing each other in total harmony until their separation in 1973. Celia was the creator of the beautiful prints inspired by nature and various artistic movements, which Ossie, with his skill in cutting and pattern making, transformed into sensual and feminine garments, thanks to the lightness of fabrics like crepes, silks, and chiffons. These garments captivated the international jet-set and the music scene of the time. From Brigitte Bardot to Liz Taylor, and Verushka, everyone was fascinated by their fashion. Mick Jagger, Brian Jones, Keith Richards, Jimi Hendrix, Marianne Faithfull, Anita Pallenberg, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Bianca Jagger, and Marisa Berenson are just a few of the figures that Ossie Clark dressed.

Starting from a key collection of garments from the Massimo Cantini Parrini archive, enhanced by additional loans from the American collection of Lauren Lepire and the London archives of the Clark family and Celia Birtwell herself, the book tells the story and evolution of the two artists through garments, fabrics, drawings never before published, interviews, photographs, and vintage editorials.

Curated by Federico Poletti.

Essays by Cristina Giorgetti, Renata Molho, Suzy Menkes, Beatrice Manca, Arianna Sarti.