Zandra Rhodes
Rhodes exotic evening dresses often have uneven handkerchief points. Rhodes has produced felt coats with pinked edges, quilted tunics and embroidered satin garments. Her signatures are Art Deco motifs, zigzags, lipsticks, cacti plants, etc. In the 1970s she added jersey to her collections and revived the crinoline.
Drawing inspiration from historic sources, on images from nature, popular culture and her personal experiences, Rhodes sketches an object over and over, until the sketches become increasingly abstract and a personal statement emerges. In 1972, Rhodes was awarded the English Fashion Designer of the Year award and in 1974 the Royal Designer for Industry award.
Zandra Rhodes has been the recipient of many academic and professional awards over the years, including honorary doctorates from the Royal College of Art and other universities in both Great Britain and the United States. She was made Commander of the British Empire in 1997 in recognition of her services to the fashion and textile industry. Early in the twenty-first century, Rhodes was spending some of her time in San Diego, California, and it was here that she was invited to design the costumes for the San Diego Opera's production of The Magic Flute in 2001, garments that received great critical acclaim. In 2003, she opened the Fashion and Textile Museum in London.
