At Beijing Design Week 2023, renowned British fashion designer Sandra Rhodes will donate 31 pieces to the China Design Museum, which is being established by the Beijing Design Week Organizing Committee.
A pioneer of popular textile design in the UK, Zandra Rhodes began her career as a textile designer and perfected the art of textiles to become a dominant factor and intrinsic part of clothing styling. Known as the "Punk Princess", Rhodes became an influential designer in the fashion industry in the 70s of the 20th century. During her more than 50-year career, she has also designed fabrics and garments for many royalty and celebrities, including Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury, Bianca Jagger, Debbie Harry and the legendary Divine. In 2003, Rhodes, passionate about education, founded the London Fashion Museum. A reporter from Beijing Youth Daily interviewed the pink-haired "punk princess" backstage at the 2023 Beijing International Design Week, and she is looking forward to the exhibition "Sandra Rhodes' Shocking Pink Dream" that will be held in 2024.
Beijing Youth News: Why did you donate to the China Design Museum, which is under construction? What are your ties to China?
Sandra Rhodes: I have a long relationship with China, and I first came to China in 1979. I have been paying a lot of attention to China for so many years, and in recent years I have been fortunate to have many job opportunities in China, many Chinese brands have also cooperated with me personally, and this year I have also done my own exhibition in Beijing, and more and more work content is directed to China.
I hope that through this donation, I can have some inspiration for the China Design Museum and young designers.
Beijing Youth News: When you first came to China in 1979, what impression did China leave on you at that time? When you return to China after 40 years, what are your new impressions?
Sandra Rhodes: When I first came to China, I was pleasantly surprised to feel the profound history and culture of China, and I saw the shock that Peking Opera gave me for the first time.
A year later, I came to China on a personal tour, and I sketched everything I saw everywhere I went. After returning to China, I designed a set of clothing about Chinese elements, which were inspired by my impressions of coming to China. In particular, the combination of green and red in my works originated in China. Chinese chiffon has also become the main raw material for my future fashion designs.
I was fortunate to come back to China forty years later and marvel at the rapid development of China, especially in the field of fashion design.
Beijing Youth News: What is the significance of the 31 works donated to the China Design Museum to you?
Sandra Rhodes: I personally selected the thirty-one works donated and chronicle a very important period in my career. In this donation, I can see my revolutionary flowing jacket and skirt from the 70s, printed with my classic orange and white "Chevron shawl" print on candy pink chiffon, with white feathers plastered together along the frills; There is also the classic V-neck kimono sleeve skirt printed with lilies and a shocking pink ribbon tied around the waist; and a fuchsia asymmetrical layered knitted evening gown with red satin suspenders from my 1978 punk collection. I want to convey all my design ideas through fabric design and pattern.
Text/Beijing Youth Daily reporter Wang Lei
Photo by Beijing Youth Daily reporter Li Na
Editor/Qiao Ying