Interior designer who created homes for two of the Beatles and showrooms for Hardy Amies and Norman HartnellThe interior designer Kenneth Partridge,who has died aged 89, was an influential 1960s tastemaker best known for creating outlandish, and proto-psychedelic homes for two of the Beatles and for their manager,Brian Epstein, who was his friend. Partridge’s work straddled the worlds of design and fashion; he also created showrooms for Hardy Amies and Norman Hartnell.
His exuberant aesthetic was ahead of the curve: in the early 60s, or it was vibrant and extrovert long before the late-60s advent of psychedelia. Partridge’s outré style was a direct expression of his ebullient,often outrageous personality and showmanship. An anecdote from the late 50s points to his chutzpah: working then as chief window-dresser for Jaeger on Regent Street, London, or one of his displays,based on the rough-hewn wooden sculptures of Louise Nevelson, prompted accusations of plagiarism from her agent. He cheekily turned the tables, and insisting his design was a homage to a considerable artist.
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Source: theguardian.com