Dame Zandra Rhodes Shares Her Design Secrets

Dame Zandra Rhodes is known for her bold personal style as much as her edgy, innovative designs. The British fashion figure’s bright fuchsia bob, colorful makeup, and opulent jewelry define her signature look. Though the “princess of punk” is approaching 80, she shows no signs of slowing down and is focused squarely on the design horizons ahead. “When I look back, sometimes I don’t know how I found the time to do it all,” Rhodes tells CR. “Going through the history again becomes a revelation and an inspiration in itself.” This week, the designer marks her place in fashion history with the opening of a retrospective at London’s Fashion and Textile Museum. Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous traces the evolution of her work across five decades of revolutionary style.

The world of fashion has always been a touchstone for Rhodes. Her mother—a fitter for a Parisian clothier and teacher at Medway College of Art—inspired the young fashionphile to study printed textiles. Rhodes then embarked on her own design career with romantic looks in the late ‘60s, shifting towards vibrant colors and patterns in the next decade. Her playful aesthetic experimented with shape, color, and prints, and has since become a hallmark of her style. Rhodes’ mosaic approach has brought together ‘70s punk distressing and beaded safety pins with inspirations from nature and faraway worlds, such as Ukrainian chevron patterns, Japanese flowers, and North American indigenous symbols. Over her career, she has dressed the likes of Princess Diana and Jacqueline Onassis, as well as musicians from The Struts and Queen.

Here, we speak with the designer about the importance of clothing detail, how open curiosity lends to her work, and the pinnacle moments that have defined her career in fashion.

You have compared designing textiles and clothing to creating art. How is fashion a form of artistry?

“Within our lifetimes, it has become a form of art. You put as much effort into designing a piece of clothing as a painter puts into a painting. Drawing is a large part of my work because you never know what it will lead to. A sketch can inspire my next collection, even if I don’t realize it at the time.”

Which pieces from the exhibition define key moments and eras of your design work?

“When you go through the collections, you want to find pieces with photos that catch the mood of the time. Those with Natalie Wood and David Bailey were right at the beginning of my career. You can also look at different landmarks that you didn’t know were important at the moment, like Freddie Mercury’s pleated top and Diana Ross’ pleated gold outfit in the '80s, which was also used in The Met exhibition [Camp: Notes on Fashion].”

How have you retained your individual vision for 50 years in the fashion industry?

“I have been true to my image but that does not always fit with what is going on at the time, so then you have to try and rethink your work. You need to step aside and ask yourself—how would I wear it? Does it fit in with existent images? It is inherent that you hope people will always follow what you do, but it is not guaranteed. You have to do what you know, what you believe in, and what you do best.”

What essential advice would you offer to a young designer?

“I would say to be honest and true to yourself. Try to look at things clearly and make sure you are doing them for the right reasons—that you have something to give to the world that has not been seen before. That is what I did with my textiles. I found a way to learn and put things together, and really believed in what I was doing. And no matter what the setbacks may be, don’t give up!”

What would you like your ultimate legacy to be in the world of fashion and design?

“I feel that there is so much ahead, the sky is really the limit. I would like to be remembered for inventing garments that showed how textiles are equally important to design, long before computers could do that. It is still very important for designers to have their hands in what they create and bring to life.” Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous is on view at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London from September 27, 2019 to January 26, 2020.