At 84-years-old, Dame Zandra Rhodes’s energy and vivacity is undimmed. The self-confessed hoarder (“there’s always room for one more”) rarely has time for rest, so we were delighted to spend a few hours in her bright company for our latest Homing In podcast.
00:00 Intro
00:19 Has Zandra always been a hoarder?
01:34 Where did Zandra grow up?
02:47 How Zandra came into the world
03:48 Zandra’s childhood
06:20 Zandra as an extension of her mum’s ambition
07:34 Zandra’s parents
08:56 Out of body experiences, mediums and seances
10:10 The murder of Zandra’s grandmother
11:30 The influence of Zandra’s mum on her career
12:18 The story of Zandra’s name
13:05 Zandra’s relationship with her sister
14:50 Falling in love with textile prints
16:08 Zandra’s first collection and meeting fashion editor Diana Vreeland
18:11 Making clothes for Freddie Mercury
19:47 Dinner with Salvador Dali
20:08 Visiting Andy Warhol’s factory
22:15 Zandra’s first flat and representing her designs
23:51 Zandra’s ‘beige food’ dinner parties
25:40 Zandra’s current home
26:57 Creating the Fashion & Textile Museum building
28:43 Zandra’s love of colour
32:22 Zandra’s love of plants and gardening
34:50 Zandra’s hair and personal style
36:29 Sleeping in make-up and never taking it off
38:50 On wearing black for a week
39:10 Zandra’s late partner
41:55 Working seven days a week and Zandra’s latest projects
43:13 Zandra’s friendship with artist Andrew Logan
44:08 Zandra’s cancer diagnosis
47:05 Zandra’s secrets for longevity
48:27 India’s influence on Zandra
49:50 Zandra’s greatest legacy
50:34 Living up to her mum’s expectations
Producer: Laconic Collective
Editor: David Potter
Graphic Design: Ben Tucker
Music: @SimeonWalkerMusic
This episode is sponsored by Vitsoe: https://www.vitsoe.com/gb
Pick up a copy of Zandra Rhodes’ latest book, Iconic: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/458371/iconic-by-rhodes-zandra/9780857505217
Pick up a copy of Matt Gibberd’s latest book, A Modern Way To Live: https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/320176/a-modern-way-to-live-by-gibberd-matt/9780241480496
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7 Comments
Great interview! Thank you for sharing.
this is what i want my future to be
Such generous answers to really good questions. Something about the name indeed! My aunt Zandra is a wonderful poet.
Great video! I would love to see a video of their home next!
I am a bit scared of colour but I can truly appreciate the richness of the surrounds here and Zandra foregrounded so perfectly in front of them. Thanks so much for such a warm, genuine, and generous interview. Zandra"s curiosity, liveliness, and open-mindedness is apparent in all she says here and in her continuing work. To be this vital and engaging at a stage of life when most are forever looking back, is a wonderful lesson for me.
A magnificent interview! What a wonderful woman Zandra is! Thank you for the video!
What an excellent and fascinating interview.