Zandra Rhodes
Evening coat, Zandra Rhodes, 1969. Museum no. T.356-1974
Zandra Rhodes graduated from the Royal College of Art in 1964. The daughter of a fashion instructor, she is renowned for her unconventional clothes and pink hair. Interested in Pop Art and Pucci prints, she sold some of her first textiles to Foale and Tuffin.
While teaching at art college in 1968, she opened the Fulham Road Clothes Shop in Chelsea with fellow designer Sylvia Ayton. However, Rhodes wanted full artistic control over her highly individual prints. Thus she began to base designs for clothes on the shapes of these fabric prints.
She issued her first collection in 1969, showing loose, romantic garments. Rhodes' favourite fabrics included felt and chiffon which she cut into flowing, tiered forms.
Since the beginning of her career Rhodes has kept examples of all her fabrics and garments. She has recently opened her own museum of 20th century clothing and textiles in Bermondsey, London.
