Zandra Rhodes was born in Chatham, Kent, UK in 1940 and introduced to the world of fashion by her mother, a fitter for the Paris fashion House of Worth and later a lecturer at Medway College of Art.  Zandra studied at Medway College of Art in Rochester and then at The Royal College of Art in London.  Her major area of study was printed textile design.

Her early textile designs were considered too outrageous by the traditional British manufacturers so she decided to make dresses from her own fabrics and pioneered the very special use of printed textiles as an intrinsic part of the garments she created. In 1967 she opened her first shop: The Fulham Road Clothes Shop in London with Sylvia Ayton.  In 1969 she set up on her own and took her collection to New York where it was featured in American Vogue, after which she started selling to Henri Bendel in NY. In the UK, Zandra was also given her own area in Fortnum and Mason, London.  Zandra was Designer of the Year in 1972 and in 1974 was made Royal Designer for Industry.  In 1975 she founded her own shop off Bond Street London where the rich, famous and fashionable bought and wore her clothes.

Zandra’s own lifestyle is as dramatic, glamorous and extrovert as her designs.  With her bright pink hair, theatrical make-up and art jewellery, she has stamped her identity on the international world of fashion.  She was one of the new wave of British designers who put London at the forefront of the international fashion scene in the 1970’s.  Her unique use of bold prints, fiercely feminine patterns and theatrical use of colour has given her garments a timeless quality that makes them unmistakably a Rhodes creation. In 1977 she pioneered a pink and black jersey collection with holes and beaded safety pins that earned her the name of “princess of punk”.

She has designed for clients as diverse as Diana, Princess of Wales, Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor and Freddie Mercury of the rock group ‘Queen’.  She continues to clothe and design the rich and famous around the world from royalty to rock stars including: HRH Princess Michael of Kent, Debbie Harry, Bianca Jagger, Kylie Minogue, Anastasia, Paris Hilton, Joan Rivers and the late Isabella Blow.

Zandra’s dresses are the ultimate dress-up dress.  Helen Mirren, star of “Calendar Girls,” “Madness of King George” and more recently “The Queen” wore a Zandra when she received her award from BAFTA in Beverly Hills and Sarah Jessica Parker dressed up in a Zandra in “Sex and the City”.  Her vintage pieces have long been collected by Tom Ford and Anna Sui and have been worn by Kelly Osborne, Ashley Olsen, Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell.

Zandra Rhodes collections are sold in the top stores and boutiques around the world but her work does not just stop with dresses and printed textiles.  It also encompasses various exciting licences including note cards, china for Royal Doulton, shoes for Strutt Couture, furs for Pologeorgis in New York and currently an extensive clothing collection, accessories, bed linen and china tableware for Marks and Spencer. She has also collaborated with MAC to produce a limited edition make-up range.

In the last few years Zandra’s career has diversified into designing the sets and costumes for operas internationally. She first worked for the opera in 2001, when San Diego Opera invited her to do costumes for The Magic Flute. She was then asked to design both sets and costumes for Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers in 2004. This has already toured ten cities in the USA including San Francisco and New York, Washington National Opera and L’Opera de Montreal. Most recently, she worked with Houston Grand Opera on Egyptian-inspired designs for Verdi’s Aida, which played at the English National Opera 2007 and was encored in 2008.

Zandra has devoted much of her time to setting up the Fashion and Textile Museum (FTM) in London, dedicated to showing the work of fashion and textile designers from the 1950’s to present day. This was officially opened in May 2003 by HRH Princess Michael of Kent.  The museum is now part of Newham College of Further Education and it has been awarded the status of: National Skills Academy for Fashion, Textiles and Jewellery.
Zandra Rhodes was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1997 in recognition of her contribution to fashion and textiles, has nine Honorary Doctorates and is the first Chancellor of the University of The Creative Arts (Kent).

Head Office
Zandra Rhodes Enterprises Ltd                                  
81 Bermondsey Street
London SE1 3XF
United Kingdom

Tel: +44 207 403 5333
Fax: +44 207 405 0555
E-mail: zrhodesent@aol.com

US Office
Zandra Rhodes Publications
444 South Cedros Avenue
Studio 160
Solana Beach, CA92075
USA

Tel: +1 858 792 1892
Fax: +1 858 792 1814
E-mail: zandra@zandrarhodes.com

Timeline

•    1940 Born Chatham, Kent
•    1959-1961 Studied at Medway College of Art, Rochester, Kent
•    1961-1964 Studied at Royal College of Art, School of Textile and Design
•    1984 In depth book, "The Art of Zandra Rhodes" launched (U.K.). Published by Jonathan Cape. International Standard BK No. (ISBN-0-224-01939.2)
•    1994 Andrew Logan Sculpture of Zandra Rhodes unveiled in National Portrait Gallery by the Queen
•    1995 April Established studio in California
•    1995 May Launched Zandra Rhodes Fur Collection for Pologeorgis
•    1995 September Launched nationwide campaign in U.S.A. with National Book Network for her classic book "The Art of Zandra Rhodes" ;
•    1996 March Featured Designer with Lady Thatcher for "U.K. Utah" British Promotion in Salt Lake City, U.S.A.
•    1996 April Featured Designer for "Designing Women" Costa Mesa with accompanying book signing
•    1996 May Launched Zandra Rhodes II, hand painted silk Ready to Wear collection made in Hong Kong
•    1996 June Range of bed linens for Grattons mail order catalogue in the U.K.
•    1997 January Launched "Zandra by the Sea" Ready to Wear Collection, California
•    1998 January Launched Zandra Rhodes eyewear collection with Lygo Merx
•    1998 February Co-chair with Salah Hassanein for "Heart of San Diego" to raise money for U.C.S.D. Hospital
•    1998 July Installation of jewelled terrazzo terrace with David Humphries, Del Mar, California. Awarded the American Terrazzo Award for 1998
•    1998 September Created exclusive collection of velvet devores for Liberties of London
•    1998 September "British Invasion" at Saks Fifth Avenue, New York
•    1998 December Buckingham Palace - Created pink haired fairy on the Christmas tree, later auctioned for charity
•    1999 February Opened Melbourne Fashion Week with a retrospective at Melbourne Stock Exchange,
•    1999 May Opened motorway at Gillingham, Kent with Lord Mayor of Medway
•    1999 November Riga - Latvia Show and head of Fashion Forum
•    2000 February Co-chair with Salah Hassanein for "Heart of San Diego" for the third time
•    2000 June –Judge for the Wearable Art Show in Nelson, New Zealand.
•    2000 July-October - worked with David Humphries of Australia to produce "Art" terrazzo floors for:
The Fashion and Textile Museum (FTM) London Apartment Entrance Floor and Grand Entrance Hall also the Terrace in Del Mar, California.
•    2000 November - Grand Fashion Show to open  Bravo Week - San Diego.
•    2001 January - Designed Costumes for Mozart's The Magic Flute; opening the San Diego Opera's 2001 Season.
•    2001 Unveiled Andrew Logan's Pegasus Sculpture on the Dudley Southern Bypass UK.
•    2001 October - Cherie Booth hosted a reception at 10 Downing Street for the American Friends of the Fashion and Textile Museum.
•    2002 January – Judged Miss India in Hydrabad India
•    2002 November – Children’s Magic Mural – opened by Mo Molem at the Fashion and Textile Musuem
•    2003 May -The Grand Opening of the Fashion and Textile Museum, opened by HRH Princess Michael of Kent.
•    2003 June – Founded and presented the Zandra Rhodes Textile Award at Graduate Fashion Week
•    2004 – Designed a range for Topshop
•    2006 – Launched Zandra Rhodes gift range of make up for MAC cosmetics and collaborated for a show at London Fashion Week
•    2009 – Designed a range for Marks and Spencer Ltd
•    2009 – Up coming projects: Sheets and Bed linen for Ashley Wilde Group, Tableware for Marks and Spencer, Shoes for Strutt Couture, Outdoor range and camping products for Millets/Blacks Group and bags for Portal World Group.

Awards and Doctorates

1963 Designer RCA

1978 Fellow of the Royal Society of Industrial Artists

1986 Dr of Fine Art  – International College of Fine Arts - Miami

1977 Royal Designer for Industry

1986 Dr of Design Council of National Academic Awards

1987 Dr of RCA

1996 CBE from the Queen

1996 Fashion Hall of Fame – British Fashion Council

1997 Dr of Letters - University of Westminster

1999 Fellow KIAD - Rochester

2002 Dr of Fine Art - London Institute

2002 Dr of Humane Letters Academy of Arts College San Francisco

2003 Dr of KIAD - Canterbury

2003 Dr of Philosophy Metropolitan University

2007 Dr of Litt Galashields

2007 Dr of University of Northampton

2010 Chancellor of University of The Creative Arts