Dame Zandra Rhodes

Rosebud with Gyles Brandreth

Friday, 2 October 2026 - 1 hour 9 minutes

Dame Zandra Rhodes, the iconic British fashion and textiles designer, is our guest today. In this brilliant conversation, recorded at Zandra's beautiful penthouse apartment in Bermondsey, Zandra tells Gyles about her childhood, which was hugely influenced by her "exotic" and extremely stylish mother, who was always well dressed and was ambitious for her daughter. She talks about her father, who was a lorry driver who adored his wife but whose childhood was marred by tragedy. Zandra talks about her early love of dressing up, and about her memories of the war, and of going out blackberrying in the Kent countryside. She talks about starting out, about her fierce work ethic and the people who gave her breaks early on in the Swinging Sixties. Zandra tells Gyles about meeting Diana Vreeland in New York, about dressing Diana and Freddy Mercury. This is a charming hour with one of the most distinctive visionaries of British style. Our huge thanks to Zandra for having us at her place that day, and for her warmth, talent and wonderful stories. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.