S22 Ep1: Dame Zandra Rhodes: Building a legacy whilst defying convention

Conversations of Inspiration

Holly Tucker MBE

Education, Business, Society & Culture, Self-improvement, Entrepreneurship, Personal Journals

5 • 1.3K Ratings

🗓️ 9 June 2025

⏱️ 63 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

What does it take to build a legacy that spans over six decades, dressing everyone from royalty to rock stars, while staying true to your unique, uncompromising vision?

In this episode, Holly has a heartfelt conversation with the legendary Dame Zandra Rhodes, a beloved figure in the fashion world whose vibrant designs and bold spirit have made her an icon. From the swinging sixties to today, Zandra has gracefully pushed boundaries, embraced change, and navigated life's challenges with remarkable resilience. Her journey—from a creative childhood in Chatham, Kent, to dressing stars like Princess Diana, Freddie Mercury, and countless others—feels almost like a fairy tale. Along the way, Zandra has faced loss and battled cancer, yet she has always stayed true to herself.

With her signature pink hair, unforgettable style, and a heart as bright as her designs, Zandra’s story is not only one of creativity but of strength, reinvention, and a deep belief in following her own path.

This conversation is packed with Zandra’s wisdom she has learned throughout her extraordinary life. It’s a story that will leave you feeling inspired by a woman whose impact is as enduring as her iconic work and the beautiful legacy she continues to create.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Age is what you make it. You are never too old or wrinkly for a second or third act.
0:05.8	Run at life head on. Go to bed in your makeup. Eat too much bread and butter pudding and always fill your world with colour.
0:15.6	You'll have to excuse me as I've just a bit over-excited. I've just interviewed a legend of the fashion world,
0:22.9	a complete icon, the one and only Dame Zandra Rhodes, known for that dramatic, distinctive design
0:30.6	and her love of colour. Zandra has been a leading figure in the British design world for, can you believe this, six decades.
0:40.9	And it felt as though I was sitting with a kindred spirit because I suppose here was a woman.
0:46.7	She's navigated every dip and turn of that roller coaster, professionally and personally, setbacks, loss, cancer, business going well,
0:56.8	business not going well. But she's ready to face another day, makeup on, hair as pink as ever,
1:03.8	and just, I don't know, just fabulous. She was fabulous. I'm an awe. So whatever you're listening, maybe you're walking, you're in the car, in the workshop. This conversation is going to inspire and motivate and ignite. And you might just want to dye your hair pink again as I did after this episode. Enjoy.
1:26.6	Bow your head and let your eyelids close on down where we're going. You won't need to bring
1:33.2	your frown. Hi, I'm Holly Tucker and welcome to my podcast Conversations of Inspiration. I've reached
1:41.0	out to founders and those who simply inspire me to share their hard-earned wisdom with you.
1:48.1	My hope is that collectively, these remarkable realisations will help you on your own journey.
1:54.3	I like to think of it as inspiration for life.
1:58.3	So, let's begin this week's conversation of inspiration.
2:03.9	Sandra, it's a dream to be sitting in front of you. As I develop my business and over the last 20 years,
2:11.2	there are few women for me that represented not only being an icon, but everything that you represent actually means a lot
2:21.2	to me and I look up to you. So to be sitting in front of the woman right now, thank you for joining
2:28.7	conversations of inspiration. Well, thank you for asking me and you look wonderful. So you've
2:33.3	obviously dressed for the part. Well, actually, this asking me and you look wonderful. So you've obviously dressed for the part.
2:36.2	Well, actually, this is how I actually dress. And so this is, there are a few people who turn up in colour.
2:43.4	And colour actually has been a really great therapist for me.
	...

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