2013-05-22T17:00:16-04:00 Zandra Rhodes http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/author/index.php?author=zandra-rhodes Copyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc. HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Zandra Rhodes Good old fashioned elbow grease. tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1921217 2012-10-01T19:00:00-04:00 2012-12-01T05:12:01-05:00

Zandra Rhodes http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zandra-rhodes/ (I'll give you all of those details soon!)

Sometimes however, one encounters a beautiful inspiration that transcends fashion and art.

One such is inspiration is Katy Sullivan who has stolen my heart.... I met in Katy in Los Angeles several months ago at a fundraiser for the Rancho Los Amigos National Rehabilitation Center in Los Angeles, CA. I was inspired by her poise and glamour: wearing a mini dress yet showing her prosthetic gleaming metal legs. I saw a film of her running and was completely overwhelmed.

Once I heard she had qualified to represent the USA for track I just had to design a Celebration London 2012 Paralympic Games t-shirt for her and her fans!

Katy returned to California from London last week to adoring crowds of Angelinos, having set a new American record for women's track in a bilateral lower extremity amputee and exceeded her own personal best. Before she knew it she was in Washington, DC, having been invited to meet the US President at the White House.

Why can Katy Sullivan run? And run so fast????

Katy Sullivan was born without legs. A decade ago this meant life in a wheelchair and social isolation. THINGS HAVE CHANGED!

What Happened?

In the 1990's, advances in technology (materials, microcomputers) and a new generation of engineer designers (several of whom were athletes and amputees!) led to a paradigm shift in attitude about what prosthetics could do, and "pride" in wearing a "bionic limb". Katy looks beautiful and natural, striding around with her metal legs. FASHION and beauty are for all of us.

Running?!?! Flex-Foot: In the 21st Century true innovators emerged,The 'Flex-Foot' Cheetah used by KATY SULLIVAN was designed by Van Phillips - an inventor and himself an amputee from a water skiing accident. Van Philips studied mechanical engineering and became the inventor of the Flex-Foot: based on ideas gleaned from studying the energy storing and release properties of divining boards, poles used in pole vaulting and the C shape of Chinese swords. His Flex-Foot concept found use for a range of people in different circumstances; the "Cheetah" was the one he designed for athletes to run and the one that Katy used for her historic performance in London's 2012 Paralympic Games.

As a Londoner I could not be prouder of the spectacular job done by our Country hosting the Olympic and Paralympic games!

Bye for now,

Zandra]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1560355 2012-06-01T19:00:00-04:00 2012-08-01T05:12:19-04:00

Zandra Rhodes http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zandra-rhodes/
On 23 May, HRH Queen Elizabeth, hosted a party to launch the Diamond Jubilee, intended to be "the most glittering arts event in the history of London" (this turned out to be an understatement), and I was part of the GLITTERATI!!!

The Queen's intention was to focus attention on the important artistic achievements of British citizens. and even more importantly to preserve the future of British leadership in the arts, by presenting scholarships to students at the Royal Academies of Arts, Music, Dance and Dramatics.

As a fashion designer, I was invited to attend with my muse, and I chose Michele Paradise, whom I discovered in Washington, DC in 1983 and brought to London (she later became Phillip Treacy's muse - talented lady!).

Michele truly looked absolutely fabulous wearing (from my latest collection) a tight fitting purple floral dress with pleated hip feature under a printed shocking pink satin bubble coat.

She also wore a stunning bow hat by my former student Piers Atkinson - who has created millinery for HRH Kate Middleton. We glided elegantly around the Royal Academies' beautifully hung walls until we were gently shepherded into line so the Queen could most graciously greet us personally - for those who do not regularly attend such functions, let me explain that as the Queen approaches, we each curtsy. I must say I did my best to do this gracefully and of course showing the deep respect I feel, but I was no match for the curtsying skills of the actresses such as Sian Phillips (whose performance in the original Tom Jones film will never be forgotten). Sian's magnificent curtsy put my bob to shame!

Princess Michael (Patron of the Fashion and Textile Museum I founded in Bermondsey) was elegant and charming as always, and she shared lovely memories of adventures she had while wearing my dresses.

Then Matthew Williamson, another rising fashion superstar (whom I mentored) walked over to me with his muse to to thank me for starting him off in his truly spectacular career.

As for the representatives of the other arts... Dame Judith Dench was there as was Paul McCartney, who strolled over to introduce me to his new bride. Petula Clark - looking totally Petula - came rushing over and said "Mary Quant you do not look any different!"

As for the refreshments, I was most impressed with the canapes: exotic little palettes with elderflower jelly and beautiful beet salad with exotic touches of mint. While resting and enjoying the canapes I had the great good luck to sit with Ray Davis, former frontman for the Kinks (who can forget Waterloo Sunset?).

I so enjoyed when Vivienne Clore (one of the most dynamic and powerful forces) rushed over to admire my own lilac organza printed evening coat. She was surprised to learn that I had a private penthouse salon about the Fashion and Textile Museum (hmmmm... maybe I need an agent to get the word out?)

When this incredible evening ended we walked down the grand academy staircase, garlanded with peonies and tiny child ballerinas standing at attention with great discipline. Then we entered the great cobbled square lined with young naval cadets. There we were treated to red white and blue ice cream. Zoe Wanamaker, star of stage and screen (most recently in the Harry Potter films) posed with the cadets so they could memorialise the moment with their iPhones.

It was a truly fabulous evening.

Early the next morning I indeed flew back to Southern California to organise and prepare for a very important event: the 91st birthday of the magnificent Salah Hassanein. I carefully hand carried his birthday gift onto the plane; it was a specially commissioned mirrored sculptural picture frame created by Andrew Logan.

Salah has retired from Todd AO and Warner Brothers, and now dedicates himself to philanthropy. His birthday party at the Athenaeum in LaJolla, California was simply wonderful - there was such an outpouring of love from family and friends; though the venue, dress and general attitude of the Californians is quite different from Brits at the Queen's event - the enthusiasm and sense of fun is really quite lovely. And dare I say many of the women guests were wearing ZANDRA!

Well, now I am off to London (I'll be perched above the Thames watching the Queen for the Diamond Jubilee celebrations - when I can spare time from work work work!)

Therefore, so it is,

Bye for now,

ZANDRA]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1545753 2012-05-27T19:00:00-04:00 2012-07-27T05:12:05-04:00

Zandra Rhodes http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zandra-rhodes/
No sooner did I arrive in England, but one of my closest friends David Sassoon invited me and my colleague David Reeson, creative director of the London Fashion and Textile Museum, to travel to Spain to visit the Cristóbal Balenciaga Museum. Although Balenciaga's name evokes 'Paris Couture', in fact he was a native of Spain and his earliest lessons in sewing were from his mother, a seamstress who lived and worked in the coastal town of Getaria. How appropriate therefore that this museum was established in a nineteenth century villa in Getaria which belonged to one of his mothers clients. A sleek modern building is annexed to the villa. The museum was completed less than one year ago, and it is dedicated to Balenciaga's lifetime of work with rotating exhibits of other important designers.

I do need to stop to think how similar my start in design was to Cristobal's, as I too first learned drawing and sewing from my own mother who had been a fitter in the House of Worth, Paris (before I was born!).

To reach Getaria, we traveled first to Bilbao, home of the Frank Gehry Guggenheim Museum, one of Mr Gehry's more spectacular buildings. From Bilbao we drove through the Basque countryside. The one-hour drive took us through breathtaking mountainous landscape, all the more spiritually and historically exciting because it follows a portion of the Santiago de Compestela Pilgrimage Route, also known as The Way of Saint James, a path pilgrims have walked for over 1000 years; it was recently the subject of a wonderful film The Way, a collaboration between Martin Sheen and Emilio Estevez.

Back to the Balenciaga exhibit... we were so privileged to be one of the first to enjoy a private preview...

The exhibition has been designed with great style to enhance the beauty of the works themselves on display, which are magnificent. Thoughtfully the captions are provided in English, French and Spanish.

This is a must do!

While traveling David Sassoon and I had the chance to discuss his own forthcoming retrospective. David's career is so impressive! He was invited by Belinda Bellville to join her salon in 1958 and their collaboration was so successful that in 1970 it became Bellville Sassoon. David's clients have included many socialites including the Spanish Royal Family and the Queen of Jordan, some of the world's most beautiful celebrities (including Blaine Trump, Elizabeth Taylor, Audrey Hepburn and Jerry Hall), and most women in the British Royal Family, including Princess Michael's wedding dress, and particularly Princess Di, for whom he made more than 70 dresses! David has said that he is "probably the only designer around today who has dressed every female member of the royal family except the Queen."

It would be a great help to David, as he organises this museum retrospective, if former clients would reach out and be generous enough to loan their garments, particularly those from the 1960s to the 1980s, as his work is in some of the most famous closets throughout the world. It would be so generous if his friends and clientele could help gather items for display as this exhibition will honour this most important UK designer!

Next time I write I shall be back in America. For now, I simply must get back to work: designing for clients including San Diego Opera, my newest line of jewellery and of course new textiles and designs for my next collection in my London studio.

So, it's

Bye for Now,

Zandra]]> tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.1508065 2012-05-15T19:00:00-04:00 2012-07-15T05:12:09-04:00

Zandra Rhodes http://www.huffingtonpost.com/zandra-rhodes/
This past Friday evening I went to the annual Brit Week Dinner, celebrating Brits in the Los Angeles area. Honouree Piers Morgan was interviewed on stage by the bestselling author, Jackie Collins (Joan's sister) -what a combination. She was as vivacious as ever! It was absolutely fabulous.

Christopher Guy, a charming English furniture designer who has just opened a flagship store in West L.A, was one of my table mates; Christopher's clients included The Ritz-Carlton Hotels Worldwide, not to mention some of the most beautiful in London (Claridges, The Mayfair and The Grosvenor) and the innovative American hotel, The Bellagio.

I felt very flattered when someone walked up to me in my flowing red pleated dress and said that I was the best dressed in the room. She really made me feel special when she added that she "considered me an icon like Coco Chanel". Thank you lady also in red... this was an enormous ego booster!

My Friday evening out was followed by a once in a lifetime experience crossing the Mexican border into Tecate to celebrate Deborah Szeleky's 90th birthday on Sunday. Deborah is an extraordinary woman; she founded the original health spa at Rancho la Puerta in Mexico and the world class Golden Door Spa. Her party was a Mexican fiesta and was literally held on a football field (that she had donated to the city to Tecate), hosting over 1000 guests.

In attendance was the governor of California, Jerry Brown, who gave her a citation. The performances and festivities culminated in a show featuring a horse that danced and tapped it's hooves to the beat of the Flamenco dancers. Deborah looked fabulous in a blue and white flowing printed two piece tunic.

Sad, sad news, Vidal Sassoon has just died. My phone has not stopped ringing. From the UK it was the World Service Radio to comment. What can one really say about a man who revolutionised hair cutting worldwide, helped British Fashion Week get on to its feet and as a complete contrast, fought to help create Israel!

After all this weeks excitement I am now back to work focusing on my custom designs for the opera Aida, my spring clothing colours and patterns and launching a new jewellery line. Before I know it, however, I'll be flying back to London and I am particularly looking forward to dinner with the Queen at the Royal Academy in celebration of the Diamond Jubilee. I will be taking with me model Michelle Paradise as my muse.

Bye for now.

Zandra]]>