I’m not sure I could tell you exactly when BIBA and it's rebellious creative founder Barbara Hulanicki came into my orbit, ( perhaps studying fashion journalism at university? ) but for as long as I have known about the brand and its crazy, albeit short lived, journey - I have loved it.
I have lots of books, drawings and old magazine articles about BIBA, and will always be sure to attend exhibits or watch new documentaries if they take place. I feel like I can't know enough about the BIBA story, the appeal for me just never gets old. Running my own little vintage fashion business over a decade ago, I looked at Hulunicki as such an icon - the fact that she is now 87 years old and is still working in fashion, retail and interior design in Miami is just SO bad ass.
Starting as a humble mail order fashion business that exploded and is still today globally recognised as such a cult British - born empire speaks volumes. Sometimes magic just cant be replicated. No one has managed to successfully recreate the BIBA brand despite multiple attempts, perhaps that makes the history of it even more special!
BIBA and me
I was absolutely delighted to get the opportunity to meet Barbara Hulanicki herslef back in 2013 when she did a book signing at Beyond Retro in London. Myself and one of my then-intern-now-besties Verity and I jumped in a friends old rickety white van and raced to get there in time, we simply hung a sign on the Alice shop door that said ‘Closed early, gone to meet Barbara’ even though no one passing would have a clue what we meant.
We arrived just in time and were luckily the last people at the signing so we got the chance to sit and chat with her. I tried to be cool but I was shaking like a leaf. The main thing I can remember is she complimented my vibrant blue nail varnish and we talked a lot about how nowadays you don’t need a premises to thrive, you can have temporary pop-up shops or can operate solely online because ultimately it was the demands of a bricks and mortar store that brought BIBA down to its knees.
Several years later on a sunny Saturday, Verity and I were strolling towards Portobello market, catching up - and we started reminiscing about that mad afternoon we sped through London to meet our idol. Literally, as we were talking, Barbara Hulanicki walked STRAIGHT past us on the street - instantly recognisable with her blonde bob, black clothes and signature sunglasses. We stopped in the street and stared open mouthed at each other - errrrrrrr did we just manifest Barbara into our world again!? So I think I’ll always have a personal connection to all things BIBA.
I’m currently reading Barbara Hulanicki‘s autobiography which I picked up at the recent exhibit The BIBA story: 1964 - 1975 at the Fashion and Textile Museum in London. The show has archived fashion collections, film and photography, and is showing up until September.
Every time I read about that era or speak to anybody who lived through it I honestly believe if I could time travel that’s where I’d go! The way she approached retail as a lifestyle and the buzz it caused at the time just sounded so damn fun. My auntie worked in retail in London around that era and always told me that BIBA could literally sell air.
‘It isn’t just selling dresses, it’s a whole way of life’, Barbara Hulanicki, 1970.
As well as the amazing fashion, Barbara’s illustrations and the interiors of the shops I just adore the branded merchandise which I got to see at the exhibit. I mean branded baked beans..... come on !! The timeless logo, the make up packaging, the pop art of it all - is just so great. As a child I used to spend hours doing 'imaginary' play, I'd run a hotel where all rooms where designed a different theme. This love for quirky styling has carried on into my adult years, working in charity shops, styling vintage interiors and events, so BIBA to me represents the ultimate playground for design and style.
The only equivalent in my youth I can relate to was the flagship Topshop in Oxford Circus - a homing beacon for anyone interested in fashion, trends and pop culture. Models would get scouted there, you’d always see a celebrity browsing the rails, I think it just represented a true snapshot of the time. When it closed its doors in 2021, it did feel like the end of an era.
I used the signature BIBA style as inspiration when having my wedding dress made, leaning towards a long silhouette and balloon sleeves. When working on launching a large vintage emporium in Bournemouth back in 2014 I deliberately adorned the vast showroom with large palm plants in black pots with gold stones as a subtle nod to that amazing vibe. Now living on the outskirts of Brighton where Barbara lived and studied, browsing the famous vintage laines you can often sense the distant whispers of the swinging sixties vibes that birthed the BIBA vision.
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