1980s Zandra Rhodes Patterned Denim Ra Ra Skirt

Zandra Rhodes is a British institution. Rising to fame as a fashion and textile designer in the 1970s, her audacious, highly feminine designs put her at the forefront of the London fashion scene. This mini-skirt dates back to 1988 and was featured in the spring/summer collection, The Fantastic Flower Garden. During this era, the ra-ra skirt reached peak popularity, and this piece shows Rhodes at her most casual and fun. Tailored from vibrant blue cotton denim, it is hand screen printed with Zandra's 'Tiny Fantastic Flower' print and leaves in metallic gold, black and white which make the skirt look as though it has been graffitied by the designer herself. The skirt has a high-waist construction with a thick waistband and is adorned with four frilled layers which hold their shape. It fastens at the front with chunky bronze buttons. The original label reads “Zandra Rhodes Sample” and is accompanied by care labels attributed to “Zandra Rhodes Studio” which are printed with sketches by Zandra Rhodes and care instructions printed in her hand-writing. As a sample, the label also has the style and colour sections filled in by hand.  

This playful skirt is in excellent vintage condition with no flaws of any note. The label states this piece to be 100% Cotton, and it does not have a size label so it is best to check our measurements closely. The fabric has no stretch. Our model is a UK 6-8 and 5ft 4in (163 cm) and this skirt fit her well. 

Thank you to the team at Zandra Rhodes for helping us to identify this piece and sending us the original sketch. 

MEASUREMENTS:
WAIST: 26 in. (66 cm)
HIP: 36 (91 cm)
LENGTH: 19 (48 cm)