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Floating Daisy thumbnail 2
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Not currently on display at the V&A

Floating Daisy

Evening Dress
1969 (made)
Artist/Maker
Clark, Ossie (designer)
Birtwell, Celia (textile designer)
Place of origin
Great Britain (made)

Ossie Clark used the 'Floating Daisy' print along with a larger floral for this ensemble. The 'Floating Daisy' design had a bold graphic quality. This made it easy for Clark to adapt it for his lower-priced 'Ossie Clark for Radley' range. In 1970 you could have bought this ensemble for around £140. The Radley version would have cost you £30.


Object details

Categories
Womenswear
Fashion
Access_to_Images 2003
SCRAN
Object type
Evening dress
Parts
This object consists of 2 parts.

  • Dress
  • Coat
Titles
  • Floating Daisy (assigned by artist)
  • Poppy (assigned by artist)
Materials and techniques
Printed rayon crêpe and chiffon
Rayon Crepe
Chiffon
Brief description
Woman's ensemble, evening dress and coat of printed rayon crêpe and chiffon, designed by Ossie Clark, 'Floating Daisy' and 'Poppy' textile designed by Celia Birtwell, Great Britain, 1969
Physical description
Red, black and cream printed rayon crêpe and chiffon evening dress and coat, both with leg-of-mutton sleeves and chiffon inserts.
DimensionsSize 10
Production typeReady to wear
Marks and inscriptions
  • 'Ossie Clark / Dry clean only / Made in London, England, 10' (Printed label on back of neck)
  • 'Printed by Celia Birtwell London England' (Printed label on back of neck)
Gallery label
  • Ossie Clark skillfully coordinated Celia Birtwell's lush designs of swirling, stylised blooms and firework explosions of check and striped florets. The flowing, high-waisted dress, with daring, semi-transparent bodice and plunging neckline, epitomises the late-1960s vogue for languid and sensual Pre-Raphaelite-style fashions. The coat follows the lines of the dress and has the same leg-of-mutton sleeves, and a draped bodice which ties under the bust.(1997)
  • EVENING DRESS AND COAT English, Ossie Clark, fabric designed by Celia Birtwell, 1969 Printed rayon crepe and chiffon Ossie Clark skillfully coordinated Celia Birtwell's lush designs of swirling, stylised blooms and firework explosions of check and striped florets. The flowing, high-waisted dress, with daring, semi-transparent bodice and plunging neckline, recalls the vogue for languid pre-Raphaelite-style fashions of the late 1960s.The coat follows the lines of the dress and has the same leg-of-mutton sleeves. It has huge revers and a draped bodice which ties under the bust. Given by Mrs Pauline Vogelpoel T.148&A-1983(1988)
Credit line
Given by Pauline Vogelpoel
Production
Floating Daisy and Poppy are the names of the Birtwell prints used in this ensemble
Summary
Ossie Clark used the 'Floating Daisy' print along with a larger floral for this ensemble. The 'Floating Daisy' design had a bold graphic quality. This made it easy for Clark to adapt it for his lower-priced 'Ossie Clark for Radley' range. In 1970 you could have bought this ensemble for around £140. The Radley version would have cost you £30.
Bibliographic references
  • de la Haye, Amy, ed. The Cutting Edge: 50 Years of British Fashion. Victoria and Albert Publications, 1997, pp. 19, 21, 26, 27, 28, 80, 108, and 203.
  • Watt, Judith 'Ossie Clark', V & A Publications 2003, p. 68
  • Watt, Judith, 'Ossie Clark' V & A Publications, 2003, p 68
Collection
Textiles and Fashion Collection
Accession number
T.148&A-1983

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Record createdAugust 21, 2003
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O83583/floating-daisy-evening-dress-clark-ossie/
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