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ZANDRA RHODES CHINESE COLLECTION

The head-dresses, and the hard, strong make-up of the Chu Opera all mad an impact on me.  These elements seemed more linked to ancient Crete and Egypt in my mind, nothing like I had imagined I would find in China.  The colours and elements became an influence in the presentation of my Chinese Collection . When it came to designing the clothes I made several versions of the dramatic robes worn by the girls in the traditional Chinese ballet. It was the hats that gave the finishing touch to the Chinese Collection.  Graham Smith,  the London milliner, and I had pored over my sketchbook and my swirly wiggly shapes were echoed in fabulous curlicues both on the hats for day wear with their fur pom pom and on those for evening with their  tassels.  These evening hats were beautiful witty shapes, some like little rounded boxes.  In my workroom we made face-masks in quilted and pleated satin to cover nose and mouth - a fashion accessory glamorising those seen on the people in the streets that  cold winter in Cheng Chow.   ( Zandra Rhodes ) ZANDRA RHODES MENU