Evening dress of screen printed silk chiffon with satin sash and nylon taffeta petticoat, designed by Zadra Rhodes, London, 1974

Evening dress of screen printed, cream silk chiffon with wide, cream satin belt and nylon taffeta petticoat.

Silk chiffon screen printed in shades of cream and green of cursive bands, floral motifs and inscriptions.

Given by Cecil Beaton

Zandra Rhodes considers the Lily prints to be the best of her work, and particularly significant. It was while developing the Lily textiles that she developed the method of reversing the silkscreen to produce a mirror image of the print and create symmetrical patterns. This went on to influence many of her future significant prints, such as 'Lace Mountain', 'Cactus Volcano' and 'Scribble Turnaround'. The Lily prints also represent the increasing introduction of handwriting and calligraphy into her textile designs. Zandra had used writing in her designs in the past, including the "We Love You Vanessa" print produced in the late 1960s, but the Lily textiles were the first time that this became a focus of her work. Another point of significance for Zandra is that the Lily dresses were the first dresses that she started applying beading to, which would become a future trademark.

This particular dress is a version of Butterfly No 66/cat no 73/44 as depicted in Rhodes' autobiography (1984), although our dress is cream rather than pink. (The Gallery of Costume at Manchester own a version in the same colourway as in the book). The pigments used in the print are heavier and denser than those on other Lily prints, creating a heavy textured effect.

- Daniel Milford-Cottam

Reference:
Rhodes, Zandra and Knight, Anne, The Art Of Zandra Rhodes, London, 1984

T.20 to B-1977