From the fringe

Zandra Rhodes, a pioneer of punk-rock fashion

Rhodes works near the back of the studio, an area sectioned off by a sweeping, vibrant tapestry. On a table sits a towering stack of magazines (W, Vogue, Vanity Fair and Architectural Digest), there are shelves full of glossy books (Ancient Costumes, American Fashion, Chinese Dress) and a gigantic drafting table where she sketches. It’s here that the famed British fashion designer, who lives in Del Mar half the year, continues to create signature designs.

Rhodes’ career began more than 40 years ago in London, where she pioneered a new wave of British fashion in the ’70s and earned the title of “Punk Princess” by showing beaded safety pins and plenty of holes in her 1977 collection.

Though she celebrated her 70th birthday earlier this month, she still creates two ready-to-wear collections a year. Along with that, she now has a burgeoning career designing both sets and costumes for the San Diego and the San Francisco operas. She also tends to her product lines that sell in Europe— everything from bedding to fine china to handbags.

At this point in her career, she knows what she stands for.

“I don’t put my name on it unless I feel that I could do something with an individual touch,” she says, “because I think the public aren’t stupid, and I think if they see that it has nothing to do with me, then they lose faith in what I do.”

What Rhodes does, first and foremost, is design clothing. She’s been hard at work on her collection, as well as on costumes for Aida, set to open the fall season of the San Francisco Opera. Her designs seem to be a natural fit for the opera, and she’s relishing her chance to revisit some of her past designs and expand on them in more theatrical ways.

“I had to look at them a certain way and make them commercial,” she says of her ready-to-wear designs. “Now I’ve been able to use them in Aida to make stage drama.”

Next month, people will have the chance to see a vast range of Rhodes’ work at the retrospective exhibition A Lifelong Love Affair with Textiles, opening Oct. 3 at the Mingei international Museum in Balboa Park. Perhaps the most striking thing about Rhodes’ work as a whole is that much of it, decades ago, was considered too outrageous.

“In 1971, I did a collection with silk, thrashed silk, cut with a knife, based on Elizabethan cut silks,” she recalls.

“In those days, people didn’t do raw-cut fabrics, so it didn’t sell very well but it was very inspired.”

It may have seemed as if her designs were unpopular then, but now they’re not only popular; they’re also historical,worthy of taking up space in a museum.

“They don’t look revolutionary now,” she muses, “but they were then.

Click here for more info on the upcoming Zandra Rhodes exhibition at Mingei.

From the fringe: Die Roten Punkte, best said with a thick German accent, is a duo of dysfunctional siblings who know how to make music and theatrics funny. Expect keytars, pop-punk songs like the ever-so-catchy “Best Band in the World” and a funny clueless-guymeets-sharp-tongued-girl act. The clown cabaret takes over Sushi Performance & Visual Art (390 11th Ave. in East Village) at 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 23. While you’re getting the details for this event, make sure you check out the rest of Sushi’s eclectic season. $15-$20. sushiart.org

Ag is art: San Diego Roots presents a day of art, education, entertainment and eating at its Art of Agriculture Harvest Festival from 2 to 9 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 2. There will be a food-photos show, a potluck, music, dancing and more, and it’s all going down at Suzie’s Farm (1856 saturn Blvd. in Imperial Beach). $20. Check sandiegoroots.org for more fall events on the farm. www.theartofagriculture.com

What works: San Diego’s architects and builders are up to some interesting things these days. One look at the Orchids & Onions website will convince you of that. Both the good and the bad of San Diego’s built environment are put up to public nomination and vote every year, and after that’s all done, there’s a big, fun awards ceremony and silent auction that’s a blast to attend. This year’s gala is happening at 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4, at Culy Warehouse, 338 Seventh Ave., Downtown. $35-$85. orchidsandonions.org

The edge: The idea behind the annual Technology, Entertainment and Design (TED) conference is to disseminate ideas worth spreading. The sentiment behind TEDx is the same, but it enables communities to organize and create their own TEDlike experience. The first-ever TEDxSanDiego is happening Monday, Nov. 8, at Anthology, 1337 India St. in Little Italy. Apply to attend today. $100. tedx-sandiego.com

—Kinsee Morlan