Having grown up in Kent, Dame Zandra Rhodes has always known that fashion talent isn’t limited just to London. The capital city might be an industry hub, but creativity, she points out, exists all over the country; the challenge is ensuring visibility and community for those from different regions.
It’s exactly why she donated key parts of her archive to De Montfort University in Leicester in 2023, which has in turn led to a vast, multi-site exhibition, which has just opened. Designed for both students and the wider public, Zandra Rhodes: Archive Unfolded spotlights not only some of her most famous looks, but also her unique print-making process and her commercial collaborations. It’s as much an insight into her creative practice as what it takes to sustain a long-standing fashion career. “I liked the fact that De Montfort was outside of London,” she says. “I want to show young people that they can have a career in fashion regardless of where they grow up. Not everyone lives in London, and being based outside of it shouldn’t stop fabulous creatives from pursuing fashion design or textiles.”
Zandra Rhodes
Zandra Rhodes
Zandra Rhodes
“I want to show young people that they can have a career in fashion regardless of where they grow up”
The exhibition takes place across three different campus sites. At the De Montfort University Museum, visitors can delve into Rhodes’ famed 1983 Mediaeval collection and show, which was originally choreographed by the influential artist and filmmaker Derek Jarman. The designer’s initial research and sketches will be on show, alongside the garments themselves. Leicester Gallery will house Rhodes’ numerous commercial partnerships, featuring Ikea, M&S and Topshop, to name just a few. “Young designers need to understand the importance of licensing,” she says. “I like the way [these collaborations] allow me to explore my vision in a new way.”
The gallery will also display a timeline of press cuttings about the designer dating back to the 1960s, documenting her ascension from an emerging talent to an internationally known legend. Next to it stands a replica of Rhodes’ process table, covered with printed fabrics, paints and her personal sketchbooks. Posters, show invites and catwalk show notes collected over the years will also be available to see, while in a co-joining atrium, her silk screens hang from the ceiling, artworks in themselves. “We’re calling it a chiffon forest,” says Rhodes of the screen prints. “It’s really incredible how much we’ve collected over the years. I remember driving around to different magazines before my catwalk shows to drop off posters to the teams. They were marketing really, but people seem to kept them which is rather nice.”
Zandra Rhodes
Zandra Rhodes
Zandra Rhodes
Rhodes, herself a self-confessed hoarder, has kept an original of every design she’s ever created, stretching up to thousands. Some are to be housed at famed institutions like the V&A and The Met, but she’s determined that some should be used for educational purposes. Her partnership with De Montfort came about via her best friend, Andrew Logan, who was working with them on a filmmaking project. “I’m very glad of the introduction,” she said. “Students need things that inspire and to reference and hopefully my work will be better for research than looking inside the shops. I like the idea of it being useful. It’s much better than it going forgotten in boxes in my studio.”
Christina Wilton
Leicester, she says, is an “interesting place” and De Montfort itself offers the “best lingerie course in the country if not the world… honestly, its shows are the sexiest thing you’ve ever seen.”
The designer, who celebrated her 86th birthday last week, also recently launched a jewellery collaboration with Tatty Devine. The collection was launched with a colourful dinner at her rainbow penthouse, where guests included Grayson Perry, Suzy Menkes and Anita Rani. “It’s been a busy few weeks,” she says, laughing. “But we won’t complain.”
‘Zandra Rhodes: Archive Unfolded’ is on show now until 16 January 2027. Entry is free. For more information visit dmu.ac.uk