I’ve just finished reading A to Biba and I was
blown away by the vivid and wonderful descriptions of the clothes, interiors
and happenings at Biba.
The end of Biba is frustratingly tragic and
left me wishing I was a billionaire and could simply buy back the Biba name, gift
it to Barbara and bring it back to its original purpose – beautiful clothing in
wonderful designs and sold at a reasonable price.
Although Biba’s heyday has past, there are of
course plenty of devotees dedicated to keeping the original look and name alive
and I hope they never disappear especially with Biba’s many reinterpretations
We know the name came from Barbara’s sister Biba,
but interestingly in Polish biba also means spree or jag – which is a period
of overindulgence in an activity – in this case a period of luxurious design
and beautiful clothing. Perhaps it is never meant
to be repeated?
Barbara Hulanicki was heavily inspired by the Hollywood
movies she used to watch at Brighton as a girl as well as Art Nouveau and Art
Deco design. Classic Hollywood is known for is glamour, with its actresses dressed
in silk, furs and feathers and with the sets fabulously displayed with rich
fabrics, mirrors and lacquered wood.
There are a lot of blog posts dedicated to Biba
and the beautiful clothing and girls who worked for them but I thought I might
do something different.
I decided instead to bring you some images which I
think may have inspired Barbara in her younger years or that hold that certain
something that Biba was known for
Have a good weekend!
