Zandra Rhodes
Birth Name:
Zandra Lindsey Rhodes
Birth Place:
Chatham, Kent, England
Profession
Costume department, Actress
Fast Facts
- Was awarded a Commander of the British Empire for her contributions to fashion and textiles in 1997
- Was named Designer of the Year in 1972 and earned the title Royal Designer for Industry in 1974
- Studied printed textile design at the Medway College of Art and the Royal College of Art
- Her early designs were considered too outrageous for British clothing manufacturers, so she used her own fabrics to make dresses
- Learned about fashion from her mother, who was a fitter at House of Worth and a lecturer on the subject at the Medway College of Art
- Opened her first shop, The Fulham Road Clothes Shop in London in 1967 and later took her collection to New York in 1969, where it was featured in American Vogue
- Best known as a fashion designer who has worked for royalty and numerous celebrities
- Founded the Fashion and Textile Museum in London in 2003, which is housed in a bright pink and orange building designed by Ricardo Legorreta
- Also designs opera sets and costumes, including "The Magic Flute" at the San Diego Opera, the touring company "Pearl Fishers," and "Aida" at the Houston Grand Opera
- Designed the pink and black jersey collection with beaded safety pins in 1977, which earned her the nickname "Princess of Punk․"
- Has designed clothing Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury, Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor, and several other prominent figures