In a rundown of ’10 of the best in the business’ costume designers for the music industry’s rock and pop greats, we find Zandra Rhodes, who played an important role in fashioning Queen’s image, especially in the early days…
LA WEEKLY
20 April 2016
EXTRACT:
Zandra Rhodes
Dressing flamboyant Queen frontman Freddie Mercury was surely a dream gig for any costume maker. English fashion designer Zandra Rhodes had the pleasure of creating looks for Mercury during the operatic singer’s ’70s prime. She once told Vogue one of her “15 favorite fashion memories” was “’Freddie Mercury waving his arms to try out the sleeves on a pleated ladies top that I had on the rail, late at night in my attic studio.” Rhodes also designed garb for Queen guitarist Brian May, foxy T. Rex frontman Marc Bolan and punk princess Debbie Harry. Nonrocker Rhodes clients have included ultra A-listers like Princess Diana, Elizabeth Taylor and Jackie Onassis.
Freddie Mercury in 1974, in one of his many Zandra Rhodes-designed looks
Courtesy of Zandra Rhodes
Queen in Zandra Rhodes’ designs