The legendary British fashion designer Dame Zandra Rhodes is set to drench the Holburne Museum in colour with Zandra Rhodes: A Life in Print, an exhibition celebrating her extraordinary career and unmistakable creative vision. Known for her flamboyant personal style, hand-drawn prints, and sculptural silhouettes, Rhodes has spent more than five decades reshaping the boundaries of fashion. Joanna Lewis spoke to the designer about the exhibition, her life in fashion, and the creative drive that continues to propel her forward.
Photography: Zandra Rhodes portrait by Simon Emmett
Few figures in British fashion are as instantly recognisable, or as joyfully uncompromising, as Dame Zandra Rhodes. With her shock of pink hair, bold graphic prints, and fearless use of colour, she has long championed fashion as a form of self-expression.
Born in Chatham in 1940, Zandra studied at the Royal College of Art, earning an MA in printed textiles in 1964, before launching her eponymous label in the late 1960s. She quickly became a defining figure of London’s creative scene. At a time when fashion was shedding formality and embracing freedom, her designs stood apart. They were romantic yet rebellious, intricately printed yet structurally daring. Zandra was among the first designers to use print not simply as decoration, but as a driving force in the construction of a garment.
Shells image (left) and Lipstick (right) by Jo Hounsome
Iconic prints and unforgettable garments
At the heart of A Life in Print is a carefully curated selection of garments from the Zandra Rhodes Foundation archive, dating from the 1960s, 70s and 80s, decades that defined both Zandra’s aesthetic and her influence on fashion.
So, does she have any favourites among the garments on show?
“The Button Flower pieces, which open the exhibition,” she enthuses. “Made in 1971, they hold wonderful memories of the early 70s for me. And the Button Flower coat dress was worn over 20 years later by Joanna Lumley’s character Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous!” she adds with a laugh.
Another highlight Zandra notes is the green Field of Lilies outfit worn by Bianca Jagger in 1972. “My Lilies prints are my most popular,” she says, “and they remind me of my Midnight fashion show at London’s Roundhouse, where they were first unveiled.”
The garments are displayed on dynamically posed vintage Adel Rootstein mannequins, loaned by the Fashion Museum Bath, a detail that carries deep personal significance for the designer.
“Adel Rootstein was a contemporary of mine, as well as a mentor and close friend,” Zandra explains. “Her mannequins were modelled on the icons of their time and have such presence and attitude. They bring an energy that makes the garments feel alive.”
Adding to the intimacy of the exhibition is an audio tour narrated by Zandra herself, offering visitors a rare opportunity to experience the designer’s work through her own voice.
“The audio makes it feel like I am almost walking visitors through the exhibition myself,” she says. “We arranged the outfits into ‘hero print’ sections, and my audio tour shares the inspiration story behind each of my signature print designs. It also dives into the period in which the prints were created, giving context about my career at that time.”
Perseverance, legacy, and renewed creativity
Like any long, creative life, Zandra’s career has been marked by both triumphs and challenges.
“One of my greatest achievements has been redefining the role of print in fashion,” she says. “Showing how print can influence the structure and shape of a garment.”
A more difficult period came in the 1990s, she notes, when her work was receiving less attention from the fashion world. Yet that setback proved pivotal. “That moment ultimately led me to found London’s Fashion and Textile Museum,” she explains. “From there, my career gained renewed momentum. Perseverance is essential. You have to keep going.”
A deeply personal low came in 2020, when Rhodes was diagnosed with bile duct cancer after noticing something didn’t feel quite right during a yoga class. The experience prompted her to establish the Zandra Rhodes Foundation, dedicated to preserving her vast creative archive and supporting the cholangiocarcinoma charity AMMF. “It gave me a renewed outlook on life,” she says, “and a determination to keep creating.”
That determination continues to shape her work today. Recent years have seen a series of new collaborations, including a swimwear partnership with luxury resort wear brand Oceanus in 2025. This year, she is working on another collaboration while continuing the careful process of archiving her life’s output through the Foundation.
Fearless fashion
At the heart of it all remains Zandra’s belief in fashion as a form of empowerment. “Fashion should allow people to be themselves, boldly and unapologetically,” she says.
Given her lifelong devotion to colour, it seems only right to ask her thoughts on Pantone’s Colour of the Year, the soft white hue Cloud Dancer. She laughs. “Everyone always seems to be dressed in black and navy. For me, colour is about joy, confidence, and self-expression. My colour of the year is definitely pink!”
As for Zandra Rhodes: A Life in Print, she hopes visitors leave the exhibition feeling inspired, not just by the garments on display, but by the creative freedom behind them. “I want people to feel fearless with colour and creativity,” she says, “and to understand more about my work as a designer who married the craft of screen printing with fashion design.”
Zandra Rhodes: A Life in Print is on show at the Holburne Museum until 10 May. An inclusive programme of associated events and workshops will run alongside the exhibition.
Zandra Rhodes will also appear live at The Forum in Bath in March. For more details visit: holburne.org