Revered all over the world for her trademark bold patterns, celebration of colour and distinctive sense of style, Dame Zandra Rhodes has seen her designs grace the top fashion catwalks and even her own home has warmed the hearts of the harshest of interiors critics.
She’s done it all – apart from having a greeting card and gift stationery collection bearing her designs – until now that is!
Museums & Galleries has worked closely with the British fashion icon herself to create a licensed range of greeting cards and stationery featuring many famous Zandra Rhodes designs.
And, despite being one busy dame, the bright pink haired living legend is coming to PG Live to see it all for herself, on Wednesday 5 June, the second day of the show.
“I can’t wait to see it! I’m coming to the show on the Wednesday and am so thrilled by the marvelous job the Museums & Galleries team has done in interpreting my designs onto the products,” Zandra commented enthusiastically to PG Buzz. “I love the idea of people going into a shop or a gallery all over the world and seeing the cards and stationery.”
The inaugural range features many of Zandra’s celebrated designs, including My Neon Man, Lipsticks, Feathers, Cactus, Chevron Shawl and Starwarz prints, which have been re-worked with Museums & Galleries specifically for the new product collection.
Elaborating on just of the few reasons why Museums & Galleries have fully embraced the opportunity of working with Zandra Rhodes Ben Dorney, creative director of Museums & Galleries said “Zandra’s ‘handwriting’ is completely unique – she represents British design at its best. Not only does this add a new dimension and colour palette to our wider collection, it’s also really exciting to work with designers who are still creating, and adding to, their own print archive.”
The Museums & Galleries’ launch is perfectly timed as 2019 marks Zandra’s 50th year in the fashion industry. A major retrospective exhibition entitled Fifty Years of Fabulous will open in September, staged at The Fashion and Textile Museum (that Dame Zandra founded and lives above in her famous Rainbow apartment), with a book deal signed with Yale University Press to boot.
In an interview with Zandra, as so many of her now celebrated patterns were created in the 1960s, PG Buzz asked what it was about that period that was so creative?
To which she replied: “Darling, that’s so long ago, I don’t remember! Seriously, it was a time when everything was really getting going on the design front in this country and I was lucky to have been a part of it – and I’m glad I am still here to see the designs live on.”
And putting her on the spot as to her own greeting card credentials, it does seem as though this is one area where there is still room for improvement. When asked as to whether she is a greeting card sender, Dame Zandra Rhodes revealed to PG Buzz: “I am, but I tend to be a bit last minute. I am looking forward to having a stash of my own lovely cards that can send whenever I want to brighten up someone’s day.”
The Zandra Rhodes range will be on Museums & Galleries’ stand (Stand 218) at PG Live (Tuesday 4 and Wednesday 5 June at the Business Design Centre) – and Dame Rhodes will be there herself on Wednesday 5 June!
Museums & Galleries (and its sibling companies, Mint and Real & Exciting) are three of 230+ companies who will be exhibiting at PG Live (June 4 and 5 at London’s Business Design Centre). To make sure you are at this amazing celebration of the exciting greeting card industry, register now (and receive your free 2019 Show Preview) https://pgl-2019.reg.buzz/
Online registration works really well, but if you don’t have an easily accessible email address or you would just rather speak to someone in real life, please call the PG Live show team on +44 (0) 1635 297070 during office hours.
Top: Dame Zandra Rhodes is looking forward to having a stash of greeting cards to use.
