Zandra Rhodes: Wit and Whimsy in Textiles

One of my favorite Fashion Designers, and Textile Designers in particular, is Dame Zandra Rhodes. She was one of the pioneers of the Swinging Sixties fashion scene in London, which also included Barbara Hulanicki of Biba, Mary Quant, Bill Gibb, Ossie Clark, and textile designer Celia Birtwell.

First, a bit of history: Rhodes was born in Chatham, Kent, England to a lorry driver father and a fashion designer mother in 1940. Her mother taught Fashion at Medway College of Art and ran a made-to-order dressmaking business called Beatrice Modes. Rhodes had a passion for art from an early age and grew up sketching. She would go on to study Textile Design at the Royal College of Art (RCA), where she mastered allover repeats and screenprinting. In 1964 she and her boyfriend Alex MacIntyre opened a printing studio on Porchester Road in West London. 

Rhodes established herself as a central figure of the London fashion scene with her brightly colored, energetic, and whimsical textile prints. She is able to channel a charmingly childlike freedom that one can often express effectively only after refining technical skill by mastering perspective, value, and color. Her subject matter was in target with the trends of the day: fun conversationals, graphic geometrics, abstract florals, and striking borders.

One of my favorite Zandra Rhodes prints is “Lipstick,” inspired by a Guy Bourdin photograph in a Christian Dior lipstick advertisement. Her simple renderings of lips and lipstick tubes are juxtaposed with geometric shapes and wavy striped columns with fine diagonal shading. The overall effect is kinetic, feminine yet strong, and completely original. A pared-down color palette of black, white, and a pop of neon pink convey sophistication with a cheeky wink. Rhodes printed “Lipstick” on a quintessential silhouette of 1960’s London: a miniskirt. Her design was featured in Vogue in 1968.

Incorporating shine to enhance her designs is another design tool utilized by Rhodes. She is fond of metallic fabrics, beading, dyed pearls, Swarovski crystals, and sequins. Incorporating these materials and techniques into her intricate designs further elevates the overall visual impact. A great example of this is her exciting and exquisite Spring/Summer 1987 Egyptian-themed “Secrets of the Nile” collection. The eveningwear assortment is a dazzling display of dramatic silhouettes with batwing sleeves, high necklines, exposed backs, and cold shoulder details. Zigzags, stripes, scars, and Greek keys evoke a 1920s Art Deco sensibility.

Today, you can visit the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey, founded in 2003 by Rhodes and currently operated by the Newham College of Further Education. Rhodes splits her time between London and San Diego, California, where her work is featured at the San Diego History Center.

The Fashion and Textile Museum in the London's trendy Bermondsey neighborhood

I have been lucky enough to work with Rhodes when styling her April 2016 runway presentation for Fashion Week El Paseo in Palm Desert, California. It was incredible to meet the icon and work with her gorgeous designs up close, and to experience them in motion on the catwalk. We met again in October 2019 at her book signing of “Zandra Rhodes: 50 Fabulous Years in Fashion” at the Rancho Mirage Public Library.

Dame Zandra Rhodes and Candice Held, October 2019 in Rancho Mirage, CA

Zandra Rhodes SS 2014 Collection in Kuala Lumpur, November 2013