Dame Zandra Rhodes celebrates
creative heritage of UCA

Artists, designers, and creatives joined fellow fashion designers Dame Zandra Rhodes and Wendy Dagworthy OBE raise a glass to celebrate the creative heritage of Rochester’s University for the Creative Arts.

02 Feb 2023

_{Dame Zandra Rhodes and Wendy Dagworthy OBE. Photo by © Cara London} 

Artists, designers, and creatives joined fellow fashion designers Dame Zandra Rhodes and Wendy Dagworthy OBE raise a glass to celebrate the creative heritage of Rochester’s University for the Creative Arts.

UCA - A Retrospective: Creativity: Past, Present, and Future opened last Thursday night with a private view of the works accompanied by an emotional speech from Dame Zandra and huge thanks from Assistant Vice-Chancellor Professor Terry Perk.

“As an educator you have the big stories, but it’s all the little stories, all the little journeys and narratives that a lot of the people here tonight have gone on, that really form the value and impact of our university and its various guises over the years,” Professor Perk said in his speech. “It is a real honour that we come together like this and feel proud of ourselves as creatives.”

In an interview with Dame Zandra Rhodes, she praised UCA Rochester and her early life in Medway towns for teaching her hard work and “wonderful things about drawing”.

“I have fond memories of going to school in Fort Pitt. On my early morning walk to school the wind would whistle through my ears in the most poetic way,” Zandra  recalled. “It was a fabulous time, a wonderful grounding, and I loved every minute of it – I owe a lot to my time at UCA.”

Guests were surrounded by a display of works from UCA staff, alumni and students from a range of courses, including ceramics, jewellery, photography, fashion and make-up, and art. Notwithstanding one of Dame Zandra’s own designs, her Manhattan Wrap Dress, which was once said to have been worn by Princess Diana, for whom Zandra dressed.

_{Dame Zandra Rhodes and 'Manhattan Wrap Dress' Photo by © Cara London}

The fashion designer and academic Wendy Dagworthy OBE also recounted her memories of UCA: “We did everything, it was such fantastic grounding to do what you wanted for the rest of your life…It’s just wonderful memories of freedom."

UCA - A Retrospective: Creativity Past, Present & Future  is a split-site exhibition, running till 14 March at UCA Rochester’s Zandra Rhodes Gallery. Complementary works are also on display at the Rochester Art Gallery till 15 April.

Rochester Art Gallery is open between 9am and 5pm, Tuesday to Saturday. 95 High Street, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1LX. 

Zandra Rhodes Gallery is open 10am – 5pm, Monday to Friday. UCA Rochester, Fort Pitt, Rochester, Kent, ME1 1DZ. 

Admission is free to both exhibitions.

_{UCA alumni, creative director and fashion designer, Jatin Patel.}

_{UCA Senior Lecturer Curtis Tappenden}

_{UCA Retrospective- Creativity: Past, Present and Future}