Article: INSPIRING STORIES OF THE PIONEERS & DESIGNERS OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY
INSPIRING STORIES OF THE PIONEERS & DESIGNERS OF THE FASHION INDUSTRY
Read our stories here of the most inspiring fashion pioneers and designers of the fashion industry e.g. Zandra Rhodes, Cocoa Channel, Vivienne Westwood, Zandra Rhodes, Donatella Versace, Stella McCartney, Yves Saint Laurent, Christian Dior, Christian Louboutin, Valentino, Marc Jacobs, Alexandra McQueen, Ralph Lauren and MANY MORE!
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ZANDRA RHODES
Known for her fabulously bold prints, the iconic British designer, Dame Zandra Rhodes, launched her eponymous fashion brand 56 years ago.
Nicknamed ‘The Princess of Punk’, Rhodes burst onto the fashion scene in the late 1960s and continues to work from her studio in London. Rhodes began as a printed textile designer and is renowned for perfecting the art-of-print as an intrinsic influence on garment shape. With dramatic designs and her own distinctive look, Rhodes paved the way for fashion as theatre and entertainment. Her illustrious career has seen her dress international stars including Freddie Mercury, Diana Ross and Barbara Streisand, and British Royalty, most notably, Princess Diana and Princess Anne.
Originally marked as creating designs that were ‘too extreme’, in the early 70s Rhodes left England to try and break the American market. Within a few weeks of arriving in New York she met Diana Vreeland who debuted Rhodes’ ‘Knitted Circle’ collection on Natalie Wood in American Vogue. The rest is history…
A pioneer of the British and international fashion scene since the late 60s, Rhodes’ career has seen her produce over five decades of fashion collections and more recently focus on strategic collaborations with fashion and lifestyle brands such as IKEA of Sweden, Happy Socks and Poppy Lissiman. In 2003, she founded London’s Fashion and Textile Museum, which to this day showcases some of the best in fashion and textile design.
More recently, in 2020, she formed the Zandra Rhodes Foundation, a charity that ensures future generations of designers, artists, researchers, students and educators are able to study her life and designs, with an emphasis on her methods and techniques. Dating from the mid 1960s to the current day, the Foundation is working to catalogue her six thousand garments, printed textiles, drawings, accessories, fashion films, kodatraces, silk screens, press cuttings, personal memorabilia and collected artworks. A central collection will stay with the Foundation and the remaining material will be donated to permanent collections of major museums across the world, including the Fashion and Textile Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.
Born on September 19 in Chatham, England, Zandra Rhodes learned about fashion early. Her mother had worked as a dressmaker in Parisian couture houses, and encouraged her daughter’s forays into art and fashion.
Rhodes specialized in printed textile design while studying at the Royal College of Art in London. Traditional British manufacturers deemed her rule-breaking bold prints and colors to be too unconventional. She opened a shop with her partner Sylvia Ayton, called Fulham Road Clothes, and started making dresses from her own printed fabric designs. The shop was only open for a year, but Rhodes has continued to create one-of-a-kind pieces as well as collections for the past 50 years.
After a feature by Diana Vreeland in American Vogue, her collection was sold in Bendel’s, Neiman’s, Saks and Fortnum & Mason in London.
She became known as the “Princess of Punk” with her groundbreaking pink and black jersey collection adorned with holes and beaded safety pins in 1977 and dressed none less than Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury and Diana Ross. Her collections were often built around her unconventional and exuberantly colored prints, especially her hand-screened prints.
“I was proud to be a textile designer, and I did not feel I was inferior to a painter or a sculptor. It was my metier.”
She founded the Fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey in 1996 to celebrate British garment design, in particular an astounding archive of her own work. Today she lives in an eclectic apartment above the museum.
The Princess of Punk, the Queen of Color…in addition to her nicknames, Rhodes was honored on 2014 with the tile Dame, an honorific title equivalent to that of Knight. In a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, she was invested as a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire by Princess Anne, who had worn a Zandra Rhodes dress for her official engagement photo 41 years earlier.
Rhodes was diagnosed with cancer at the start of the pandemic, but used the experience as impetus to pull her life together. Along with an updated will and DRN orders, she has launched multiple licensed collections in the past three years, highlighting her continued creative flow.
Swedish megabrand IKEA launched a 26-piece homeware collection in 2021, aimed at bringing joyful color to the average consumer. An eye-catching bed based on a pattern from the 1970’s was the result of a collab with Savoir Beds. Wallcovering was a natural extension, and a large collection with Rebel Walls is a perfect vehicle for Rhodes’ fabulously scaled and vibrant prints. Spring of 2022 saw a project with iconic British silk mill Gainsborough: two stunning patterns entitled Fabulous Frills and O-Gee Whizz, names that speak of her continued enthusiasm for her work.
Savoir x Zandra Rhodes
Above: Zandra Rhodes for Gainsborough
Below: Zandra Rhodes for Rebel Walls
Living as she designs, in full dramatic color and print, down to her wild furniture, art jewelry and bright pink hair, her personal mantra is "Always be made up — and wear jewellery!"
Congratulations on more than 50 years of pushing the boundaries!
LET IT GO
Her colourful career has spanned more than five decades. Now the designer is looking to her legacy
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Zandra brings her pop-art prints to luxury swim brand Oceanus for Summer 2025
Zandra brings her pop-art prints to luxury swim brand Oceanus for Summer 2025
Zandra has partnered with luxury swim and resortwear brand Oceanus for a high summer 2025 collection.
Hannah Attalah, Founder of Oceanus worked collaboratively with Zandra to identify Zandra motifs that translate seamlessly onto beaded swim styles. The duo settled on three key design themes derived from Zandra’s psychedelic 60’s and 70’s archive ‘Seashells’ (1972), ‘Explosions’ (1964) and ‘Flower Power’ (1965) prints. This is the first time Zandra has explored beading since her infamous beaded collections of the 1980’s and the prints have been reworked exclusively for this partnership. The high summer collection encompasses a mix of bikinis, one-piece swimsuits and mini dresses in signature feel-good Oceanus silhouettes, prices start from £220 for a two piece bikini. Printed kaftans with the Seashell motifs will be released later in September 2025.
“This marks the first time we have explored luxury swimwear as a brand and I am so honoured to be doing it with the fantastic Oceanus. The exquisite beading and quality of this collection is second to none. I am incredibly proud of the outcome. Seeing my archive prints reimagined and brought to life in Oceanus’ shimmering beadwork has filled me with immense joy.” says Zandra.
Celia B and Zandra Rhodes collaborate on a High Summer 2024 RTW collection
The duo carefully chose some of Zandra’s most iconic archive prints, from charming daisy prints to the unmistakable Button Flower. All characteristic of her signature style. These, combined with Celia’s playful ruffles and exagge- rated silhouettes made for powerful statement pieces, easy to wear with flatte- ring patterns to enhance the female body.
Celia and Zandra explore a range of materials, within this collection we see cotton, linen, sequins and handmade crochets. The use of recycled organic cottons is a conscious choice aligned with both the designer’s commitments to sustainability and fashion that not only looks good but respects the planet.
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Zandra joins John Fluevog for a second collaboration..
Journey to a world of whimsy with our brand new capsule collection with John Fluevog! This collaboration features seven playful pieces, including the debut of John’s Soul Speed sneaker family as well as some Fluevog-firsts in accessories.
Launched at Flummunity Fest 2023 in Toronto which brought together Fluevog fans from all ends of Northern America. Zandra and John stay groovy in this collection which features archive Zandra prints such as ‘Mr Man’ from the 1960’s plus Zandra’s famous ‘Wiggle’.
Introducing the hottest collaboration of the summer..
Zandra has joined forces with global accessories brand Poppy Lissiman to bring you an exclusive capsule collection of playful, high-fashion inspired eyewear and bags. Available now exclusively through www.poppylissiman.com.
A one year work-in-progress, Zandra and Poppy began collaborating in London in summer 2022 after several months of communicating online. This exclusive collection of sunglasses and bags features some of Zandra’s most iconic motifs reimagined in the fresh, young world of Poppy Lissiman.
Together with Zandra, Poppy delved into the designer’s 55 year archive and selected some of her most famous motifs, adapting them into the physical form and shape of the accessories. Four sunglass styles make-up the eyewear side of the collection and include accentuated forms of Zandra-esque shapes such as the Wiggle, Floating Flowers, Square Spiral (as seen on the Zan) and Zig Zag. Available across a selection of colourways and effects.
Two showstopping bag designs are featured in the collection. Poppy has incorporated Zandra’s ‘Geo Sparkle’ prints onto her bestselling ‘Lio’ silhouette using a screen-printing technique that has been used by Zandra since the mid-60’s and is a part of the Zandra Rhodes brand DNA.
The collaboration also features an exclusive new bag shape; the Frill Bag. Inspired by Zandra’s use of romantic pleating; a frill detail is a recurring signature in Zandra Rhodes design, whether that be in the form of trompe l’oeil or in real life. The Geo Sparkle tote and the Frill Bag are both available across three wearable colourways.
“Poppy speaks to the youth of today. What she has done is create a magnetic and engaging brand and sold it directly to her customer which gives her such a deep understanding of the Poppy Lissiman wearer. We noticed synergies with the use of colour and print in our work as soon as we met and I think this is evident in the outcome of this incredible collection!” says Zandra.
Introducing.. Wallis x Zandra Rhodes
A Second Date With An ICON..
In 2021 Zandra graced us with a unique gift and partnered with joyful Swedish brand, Happy Socks on an exclusive collaboration. Back by popular demand, please welcome ‘The Lipstick’ capsule collection, launching in April 2023.
Focusing on what is arguably one of Zandra’s most iconic prints ‘The Lipstick’, which draws inspiration from pop-art and was originally designed in 1967. ‘The Lipstick’ then went on to become a staple print sold on garments in Zandra’s first store with Sylvia Ayton ‘The Fulham Road Clothes Shop.’
The print has been on everyones lips since the 1960’s and has featured more recently in Zandra’s collection with Valentino, on Oscar’s gala dresses and at modern art exhibitions. Now it’s time for it to get on everyones feet too!
Zandra Rhodes x Happy Socks ‘The Lipstick’ collection consists of two special styles, available as pairs or in a gift set
Lola and Veranda x Zandra Rhodes
Introducing a design collaboration between ethical bedding subscription company Lola and Veranda and Zandra Rhodes.
A first of its kind, Lola and Veranda work with a fully circular approach to soft furnishings in the bedroom and consider the production and lifespan of your bedsheets.
Offering a subscription service similar to entertainment subscriptions we use on a day-to-day basis. Instead, for a monthly fee you receive luxury, designer bedding which gets swapped, recycled and changed every 6 months.
Zandra Stars as Guest Judge on BBC’s Glow Up for Comic Relief
We are thrilled to share our special project with BBC Three’s Glow Up and Comic Relief’s Red Nose Day for March 2022.
Zandra joined make-up heavyweights Val Garland and Dom Skinner on a special journey to find the Celebrity Glow Up Champion of the World!
Roman Kemp, Snoochie Shy, The Vivienne, Nikki Lily, and Lady Leshurr battled it out against one another to win the crown.
Zandra joined Maya Jama, the imitable photographer Rankin and legendary hairdresser Sam McKnight, where she helped set the brief for the budding celebrity artists whilst they got models ready for a Zandra Rhodes archive fashion show. Our historical garments were styled with Comic Relief t-shirts designed by upcoming artists.
Featured on the Zandra Rhodes x Glow Up catwalk were the iconic Leomie Anderson, Drag Race royalty A’Whora, YouTube sensation Nella Rose and a cherry-picked selection of fabulous models and influencers.
Gainsborough x Zandra Rhodes
Launching Spring 2022, ‘The Britannia Collection’ is an exciting new collaboration between two of Britain’s most iconic design names; silk weaving house Gainsborough and legendary fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes. Skilfully composed and curated, the collection showcases a fusion of two distinct yet complementary aesthetics: the refined grandeur of Gainsborough’s exquisite designs alongside the bold, liberated style that characterises Zandra’s work.
Featuring two exuberant fabrics, O-Gee Whizz and Fabulous Frills, ‘The Britannia Collection’ is woven using traditional weaving practices, on heritage looms at Gainsborough’s historic mill in Suffolk. Both designs incorporate Zandra’s signature style of free-flowing patterns and prints, as well as her use of bold, captivating colours.
Having presented a series of initial hand painted designs, developed especially for Gainsborough, Zandra worked in close partnership with the team, delving into Gainsborough’s glorious design archive and exploring intricate production processes, eventually arriving at the perfect sympatico designs for the collection.
As a result, the collection captures both the craft and finery of British textile design, as well a contemporary decorative style perfectly suited to today’s interiors.
Take a look into the creative process and inspiration behind Rebel Walls’ latest collaboration with the fabulous fashion designer and Queen of Colour, Zandra Rhodes.
“A rebel is someone who comes up with a totally new concept – something that sends shockwaves. They are not afraid to introduce something that has never been seen before. In this case it is a wall that makes a statement! It does not hide into the background – quite literally!”
Together we have created an exclusive selection of our prints and turned them into unique wall murals. Step into Zandra’s colourful world and claim your space!
View the full collection and shop now at https:/rebelwalls.com.
Textile prints included in the collection are:
AYERS ROCK
Zandra first traveled to Australia for a large publicity campaign for her textile designs for Sekers Silks and Australian Women’s Weekly. She fell in love with Australia and its countryside and people. The rock at the time was called Ayers Rock, but now it is rightfully called its indigenous name, Uluru.
ZEBRA SKIN
Zandra’s African show made its debut at Olympia in 1981 with amazing makeup by the great Richard Sharah. The print in the collection features Zebra Skins that are mixed with swirl motifs to make exotic stripes and the skins are surrounded with Zandra’s interpretation of African explosions.
MANHATTAN
Manhattan is a magical zigzag print, celebrating the electric city of New York.
The Manhattan print was featured the first time in the 1984. Magic Carpet Collection – chiffon dresses with gorgeous pointed hems, hand finished with glittering beads.
FRINGED FOLLIES
Zandra loved the idea of exotic fringing that would always stay in place because it is printed! It could resemble beautiful, exotic curtains.
“Because I am a print designer I interpreted fringing into a print. It is so perfect for Rebel Walls! Exotic zigzag fringing hangs from a jewelled braid.”
