Walking into Dame Zandra Rhodes’ Rainbow Penthouse, I almost forget it is winter in London. It is a cold, grey day in January and I have been invited to the iconic British designer’s multicoloured studio on Bermondsey Street (atop the Fashion & Textile Museum, which she founded) for a top-secret appointment. I am to get a glimpse at Rhodes’ upcoming collection with Spanish designer, Celia Bernardo of the eponymous brand, Celia B, and interview the designers.
There is no inch of the penthouse that isn’t flushed with riotous colour, from the rainbow-swirled floor to the ombre citrus walls, not to mention all of Rhodes’ technicolour art and artefacts, from maximalist lamps to giant letter Zs. My eyes are immediately drawn to four rails filled with pop-bright dresses, including a zingy, zig-zag mini, a beaded, crochet maxi and a dazzling, sequinned gown, which form the carefully curated collection of maximalist-wear magicked up by Rhodes and Bernardo.
