Best relationship?
Salah Hassanein was the love of my life. He died in 2019, at the grand old age of 98. He was 17 years older than me, but we met in mid-life, so the age difference wasn’t noticeable. We were together for almost 30 years. I think the relationship worked so well because we were both workaholics and we complemented each other. He was very instrumental in helping me found the Fashion And Textile Museum. He really believed in me and my work, which was wonderful.
Best habit?
Whenever I’m lucky enough to go on a trip, I do a sketch every morning. It can be anything that strikes me as interesting. It’s so I come back with a memory of a place that isn’t just a boardroom. I was in China recently, planning a big exhibition of my work next year. My memory of Beijing is looking down and seeing some willow trees beside a tiny stream, whereas the rest of it is neon lights and big buildings.
Best lesson you’ve learnt?
Always take your own path in life, not necessarily because you want to be different from everyone else, but because you should do what you want to do. If you start doing something you don’t believe in, then your heart isn’t in it, and it won’t be something that you treasure. It’s the same thing with children. Work is my child and I’ve got a sister who has four children and seven grandchildren. I get to be the cool auntie that leads them astray. Two of the grandchildren are going into art, and I feel honoured it’s partly my influence and I get to share my passion with them.
The worst day of my life?
When my mother died in her mid-40s. I was only 24, she’d been a chain-smoker all her life at a time people didn’t know about the harm. Seeing someone suffer like that reinforces my iron will not to smoke. It started off with a cough, but she didn’t do anything about it. By the time she realised it was serious, it was too late, and it was terminal. I could never replace her. She was the person who inspired and encouraged me, telling me not to give up. She always made me feel that I made all my major decisions myself, even though she’d been subtly guiding me in the right direction. She was the strength behind me. I’m always sad that she didn’t see my success from my late-20s, but I think she knows about it from up above.
Worst habit?
Not resting when I’m sick, like I have been for the past two weeks. I find there’s just so many things to do and I can’t slow down. I feel lucky though. I can’t imagine being 83 and sitting in my chair at home, wondering how I was going to fill my day. It would be hell!
Worst decision?
Probably allowing my shop on Fulham Road to be closed in the late 80s”. I had a disagreement with my financial partners, Ronnie Stirling and Anne Knight. I’d been very busy expanding the brand in America and lost sight of the day-to-day goings on in the shop. My life and career would have turned out very differently if I hadn’t shut the shop and I might not have met the love of my life Salah. It was such a shame because people still wistfully talk about the shop and wish it was still around. It gave my label visibility and accessibility to the public and potential buyers, and that’s not something to be underestimated. Christian Lacroix once wrote about how he used to love window-shopping there when he was in London. I’ve regrets, but I just have to accept that it’s not there anymore and get on with it.
The worst thing about fame?
You don’t get to have your own life and you must be careful what you do, especially with social media and photographers. Luckily, I’m past the age where the media is that interested in me. When Princess Anne announced her engagement to Mark Phillips in May 1973 in official Norman Parkinson photos, she was wearing a white net dress of mine that made her look like a fairy-tale princess. Everyone assumed I was going to do the wedding dress, which I didn’t get given, and there was a row of photographers waiting to take my “disappointment” picture.
Worst news?
The ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine. It’s so sad. I have friends in Russia who’d much rather not be there. It frightens me because I think the world gets smaller by the day and we can’t afford to have all of this happening. It’s so frightening. I wouldn’t want to take sides regarding Israel and Palestine. Here you’ve got two sets of people that have been seriously harmed, so how can we have peace? We can’t afford to throw people’s lives away.
Zandra Rhodes is working with Avanti travel insurance advising travellers on cruise fashion