Artist backed retaining passion and support for clothes (5)
I believe the answer is:
airer
'and support for clothes' is the definition.
I can't judge whether this defines the answer.
'artist backed retaining passion' is the wordplay.
'artist' becomes 'RA' (Royal Academician, member of Royal Academy of Arts).
'backed' says the letters should be written backwards.
'retaining' means one lot of letters goes inside another (inserted letters are held or retained).
'passion' becomes 'ire' (ire is passionate anger).
'ra' backwards is 'ar'.
'ar' placed around 'ire' is 'AIRER'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for airer that I've seen before include "Dryer" , "Frame on which clothes are dried" , "Laundry-drying frame" , "Where to dry what's washed" , "Stand" .)