#2218 $1,250 Reserved
Zandra Rhodes beaded chiffon dress, c.1984
The unique print designs of Zandra Rhodes, like a personal form of handwriting, set her apart from other designers. She is first and foremost a textile artist. That is not surprising, considering her background. She studied lithography, intending to become textile designer, but instead gravitated to fashion design, where she has made a brilliant career.
This dramatic dress, from the 1984 "Manhattan" collection, is an exemplar of Rhodes' work. She was inspired by another artistic achievement, the Chrysler Building, the finest Art Deco building in New York. Although not the tallest skyscraper in the City, it has remained New York's architectural masterpiece. Rhodes uses the unique decorative form of the top of the building as the basis for her print design.
The dress is fashioned from printed red silk chiffon. The bodice is partially lined with plain red chiffon; the skirt is lined with red China silk. The print on the bodice front is accented with decorative beads. I love the novelty beaded trim that outlines the neckline. The skirt and sleeve hems have her signature beaded drops.
The double layered sleeves are spectacular. The artist carefully engineered the points on the top layer to frame her printed Chrysler Building—see the first detail picture below. Rhodes' design engineering is as brilliant as the civil engineering used for the Chrysler Building in 1930.
The dress slips over the head and has a back neck opening that closes with self- covered buttons, tiny hooks, and snaps. It comes with a wide red satin sash that covers the comfortable elasticized waist.
Rhodes' exotic originality makes her work among the most copied in the fashion world today. In recent seasons, interpretations of her prints have appeared on the runways at Dior, Miu Miu, and Fendi. What her rivals know but can rarely obey is Fashion Commandment #4: if the design is outré, it must also be extravagantly beautiful!
The condition is excellent. It is clean and ready to wear.
The size is marked English 12 and American 10.
It measures: 38" bust, 28" waist unstretched, 56" hip, 15 1/4" from shoulder seam to shoulder seam, and 60" from the shoulder to the hem points. This would be full length on most people—the mannequin
is over 6' tall.
