Zandra Rhodes named Graduate Fashion Week patron

English fashion designer Zandra Rhodes has joined Christopher Bailey, Victoria Beckham, Vivienne Westwood and Nick Knight as lifetime patron of Graduate Fashion Week.

In this role, she will be a judge at the upcoming GFW19 which is taking place on 2-5 June at the Truman Brewery in East London, and use her platform to recruit more supporters for the charity.

“I have become a patron for Graduate Fashion Foundation because I think it is a very important cause — supporting upcoming talent across the UK and internationally. I think UK colleges are the best in the world and graduates and UK talent need this visibility which the charity offers,” she said.

“Zandra Rhode’s work has had a huge influence on fashion and British culture over her long spanning career," added Martyn Roberts, managing director of GFW.

A key figure in the UK fashion industry, Rhodes opened her first store in 1967. Her brand, first considered too outlandish for her use of colour, continues to mix a punk aesthetic with a chic twist. This year, the designer celebrates the label’s 50th anniversary in the spring.

As part of her role, Rhodes will attend the Graduate Fashion Week Gala Award Show on 5 June to help select the winner of the Hilary Alexander Trailblazer Award.

Nadia Swarovski and Diane von Furstenberg are also patrons of Graduate Fashion Week, which provides a platform for fashion students from over 90 UK and international universities to showcase their creations in an exhibition and catwalk show in London.

Zandra Rhodes named Graduate Fashion Week patron

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