Checking in... Zandra Rhodes

Fashion designer

MOST MEMORABLE PLACE YOU HAVE VISITED?

VARANASI, India, during a Holi Bathing Festival. We took a boat along the river at 5am, then sat all day watching thousands of men and women walking into the water — all in wonderful colours.

EARLIEST HOLIDAY MEMORY?

COLLECTING mushrooms at 4.30am in the fields when I was about six and we had a holiday caravan in Leysdown-onSea on the Isle of Sheppey.

WORST EVER HOLIDAY?

AT THE bottom of Chile — amazing views, but it was so cold I could not draw properly. I had the pleasure of staying in a beautiful hotel with exquisite food, but it was all a bit soulless. I wanted to see more Chilean culture.

IDEAL TRAVEL COMPANION?

MY GOOD friend Andrew Logan, a fellow artist. We both love exploratory and inspirational holidays, nothing glamorous, just seeing and sketching with museums and shopping added in.

FAVOURITE HOTEL?

THE Umstead Hotel in North Carolina, which is by a lake and full of Columbus/ Ohio pottery and paintings. It’s so peaceful. I treasure every moment.

HOW DO YOU RELAX?

DRAWING in my sketchbook and making sure that I’m absolutely nowhere near a phone.

WHERE NEXT?

I’M DETERMINED to visit Machu Picchu, the extraordinary Incan citadel high in the Andes, before I am too old to make the climb. After that, the Day of The Dead festival in Mexico.

DREAM DESTINATION? TIBET … one day.

Zandra rhodes is celebrating her 50th year in fashion. see her latest collection at zandrarhodes.com