20 February 2008
A fashion icon’s life in design
Iconic fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. Photo by Robyn Beeche.
One of Rhodes’
1981 creations, “Ensemble”. Photo by Robyn Beeche.
“Punk Wedding Dress”, from 1977. Photo by Clive Arrowsmith.
The stunning creations of fashion doyenne Zandra Rhodes have gone on display at RMIT Gallery, in the UK designer’s first major retrospective in Australia.
Zandra Rhodes: A Life Long Love Affair with Textiles charts the designer’s creative progress from initial inspiration to the finished product, bringing to life many of her iconic designs over the past four decades.
Co-curator and RMIT Gallery Director, Suzanne Davies, said she was inspired by the impact that Rhodes had not just in fashion and textiles but also in costume and theatre design.
“From pop to punk, Rhodes changed the way the fashion world saw textiles,” Ms Davies said.
“Her prints were the genesis of every garment and her idiosyncratic construction followed, inspired by her travels and love of traditional world costumes.
“It has been a rich collection to draw upon, and we have chosen pieces that reflect her long-standing relationship with Australia.”
Rhodes began as a textile designer in the UK in the late 1960s and remains one of the most creative and influential artists in the fashion world today.
In 1974 she was elected “Royal Designer for Industry”, one of the highest honours in the UK in the field of Industrial Design and a distinction that can be held only by 200 designers at any time.
She was made a Commander of the British Empire in 1997, in recognition of her contribution to the textiles and fashion industries.
Following her highly acclaimed theatrical creations for Wolfgang Mozart‘s The Magic Flute and Georges Bizet’s The Pearl Fishers, Rhodes was commissioned in 2007 by the English National Opera to design the sets and costumes for Giuseppe Verdi’s, Aida.
She designed for the late Diana, Princess of Wales, and today her clothes are likely to be seen on celebrities including Kylie Minogue, Kate Moss and Kelly Osbourne.
“Rhodes’ name has always been synonymous with a wild, yet feminine aesthetic of shredded chiffon, filmy crinolines, punk wedding dresses, elegant beaded shifts, jagged coats and sheer kaftans,” Ms Davies said.
“Her flamboyant use of colour and form has created original clothing that is timeless.”
RMIT is the leading educational institution for fashion and textile education in the southern hemisphere.
“For over a decade, RMIT has developed education programs that explore the resonances between fine art, fashion, textiles and design so it’s fitting for an artist of Rhodes’ calibre to be presented at RMIT Gallery,” Ms Davies said.
The retrospective is at RMIT Gallery until 22 March as part of the 2008 L'Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival Cultural Program.
