ZANDRA RHODES. A HYMN TO LIFE.

Beyond the color. Beyond the conformism of the British fashion industry. The main characteristic of Zandra Rodhes' art is definitely the combination of these two elements. Thanks to her creativity, she already in the mid-sixties gained a privileged position within the new generation of original designers. Her attention is always focused on the garments and her approach to fabrics always has a great dialectical impact. The bright colors and the vivid patterns are like a surreal déjà-vu, with ethnic inspirations and a great theatrical impression. The hand-painted clothes made of chiffon, with flowing sleeves and wide necklines, refer to the Eastern tradition while overflowing with incredible sensuality. The safety pins displayed in her dresses take inspiration from the punk culture and earned her the nick name Princess of Punk. On the other hand, the golden swirls on the straps from “The Renaissance Gold Collection” (1981) refer to the Italian sixteenth-century taste, that were also so well beloved by Bill Gibb. Zandra Rodhes has designed for clients as diverse as Princess Diana, Jackie Onassis, Elizabeth Taylor and Freddie Mercury. She keeps designing for the rich and famous around the world, from royalties to rockstars, always with a spontaneous and natural approach to garments and colors. After so many years, she still works up to 14 hours a day. An incredible source of vitality and glee, from inside the materials. A hymn to life.

BILL GIBB, AN ECLECTIC DESIGNER

An obsession and a rare gift. The artistic contribution to fashion of the eclectic designer Bill Gibb could be summed up in these two words. He came from New Pitsligo, a small village in the north of Scotland, and he moved to London at the age of 19, exactly in 1963. His career was fulminating. It took him just a few years to have his own fashion house and make clothes for celebrities such as Liz Taylor and Twiggy. By 1975 he was in retail. His entire poetry revolved around an incredible inclination to the romantic style and the traditional garments of the close Eastern Europe. Drapery with classical references and wide sleeves with references to the Italian Renaissance are just some of the main elements of his artistic production. The innovative use of many different patterns - from floral designs and geometric patterns through to checked tartans - within a single dress helped creating “the Gibb style” and consecrate him as master of decoration. Incapable of understanding the logic of business, he always refused to make serial productions of his clothes. Designing clothes and seeing them worn on elegant women gave him the greatest pleasure. A dreamer, a free spirit, a poet of the fabric. He died very young, leaving a huge gap in the fashion industry.

THERE IS NO LIMIT TO IMAGINATION

The making of textiles is a form of art. There is almost no limit to the variety of effects which may be produced by combining different kinds of thread and structure. The design of the textiles is obviously influenced by the nature of the fibres and by the weaving  processes. It may vary from the simple twist of weave and warp of an elegant piece of  taffetà, to the intricate and  elaborate threads of brocade.

The fusion of different patterns and the addition of colour can improve creativity. During the years famous designers from all around the world have proved that. Fashion has gone through an endless series of tests. It has experienced the medieval romanticism of shapes, fabrics and colors of Bill Gibb. It has suffered the deconstruction of the buried clothes of Hussein Chalayan. It has witnessed the incredible and colorful sensitivity of Zandra Rodhes. It has been seduced by the plastic revenge and the sexual empowerment of Paco Rabanne. There is no limit to imagination.

I simply adore these four designers and I would like to introduce you all to them. So I’ve decided to write a post about each of them that will be online in the following weeks. I hope you will enjoy!