7. The 'Dinosaur coat'
The 'Dinosaur coat' is so-called because of the zig-zag shaped outside seams, which to the designer seemed to echo the zig-zag shape on the back of a dinosaur. Zandra Rhodes wanted to make the seams a feature on the coat and she hand-cut the zig-zag shape.
The shape of the thick wool underfelt coat and the panels of fabric were inspired by Yves Saint Laurent's green fur coat in a photograph for French Elle in 1971. The 'dinosaur coat' is shaped as if it was made from curved fur pelts sewn together.
The 'Dinosaur coat' was photographed with a matching wool underfelt hat by Bishin Jumonji for Anan, Japan in 1971. The appliquéd 'Button Flower' motifs on the coat and hat were a particular feature of the Paris, Frills and Button Flowers collection of 1971.
Zandra was the first fashion designer to make a feature of outside seams with her Elizabethan Slashed Silk collection and the Paris, Frills and Button Flowers collection, both of 1971. This is a theme that she has returned to with subsequent collections. For example The Conceptual Chic Collection 1977-8, featured outside seams highlighted with a contrasting colour stitch; red stitching on shocking pink jersey, or blue stitching on black jersey.