Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous at London's Fashion and Textile Museum

The Fashion and Textile Museum in London is presenting a major exhibition dedicated to its founder, British designer Zandra Rhodes. Titled 'Zandra Rhodes: 50 Years of Fabulous' and curated by Dennis Nothdruft, the show features fifty garments—one for each year of her career—alongside chiffon tapestries, sketches, and silkscreen plates. Rhodes, who was made a Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 2014, is known as the 'princess of punk' after her 1977 Conceptual Chic collection inspired by punk culture. The exhibition also includes costumes she created for opera productions such as The Magic Flute and Aida. Rhodes studied textile printing at the Royal College of Art and opened her first boutique on Fulham Road in 1967 with Sylvia Ayton. After the partnership ended, she launched her first solo collection, The Knitted Circle, in 1969, which was shown in New York on the advice of interior designer Richard Holley. Her work was featured on the cover of Vogue America by Diana Vreeland, and she gained a following among celebrities including Jacqueline Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Cher, and Freddie Mercury. Currently, Rhodes collaborates with Liberty in London. The exhibition runs until January 26, 2020, at the Fashion and Textile Museum, 83 Bermondsey Street, London.