I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara when I was design director at BEBE, she was a good friend of Manny Mashouf the owner of BEBE. Very sweet humble extremely talented designer and illustrator. Much respect for her achievements, a true icon.
I visited both the small and big Biba, ate in the Rainbow restaurant- lived in London and used to go every Saturday, I always wanted the grey leopard suit, have a dress I bought in there still. It was an experience that has stayed with me forever.
Loved the clothes from Biba. I was in my early teens in those days. Couldn’t afford to buy any but with my mums help could make my own clothes. Magic time to grow up.
I lived in East London but when we were 13 in 1974 we used to go to Biba on Saturdays. It was an amazing shop which made a massive impression on me. It was dark, mysterious and very cool. The clothes were so beautiful but we couldn’t afford them. In fact the only thing I remember being bought was a lace fan that my friends clubbed together to get me for my birthday. We used to stand very still posing in the windows pretending to be mannequins and models. Such wonderful memories.
I LOVED Biba-went there often (before it went 'commercial' in Kensington high street!.) the clothes were a wonderful fit for a teenager/ plus ,that did not want mumsy 50's clothes. It WAS very dark in the shop which made it more interesting.The colours were more muted lovely!. non of the features i have seen since have shown the great clothes i remember! .My sister worked there for a time -the 'staff' looked brilliant -'fab'makeup & clothes. missed it as never found such good fitting & design since!.
I grew up in Arizona and my fashion years of 12 to 20 were all these things! I made a gingham check dressing😮 junior high school and I wore the handkerchief scarf in patchwork and gingham. I told my granddaughter,”Oh my goodness! I wore all these styles and colors! So fun!
I am an American who always wanted to visit the store in London. Brings back so many good memories. Young women today think work out clothes are the thing to wear. People in general, look sloppy. I miss the time when people took the time to dress and make a nice presentation. Great video.
Thank you for posting, I have such a wistful nostalgia for the styles around in those times. Living in Australia I became aware of the Biba (and Bus Stop) looks at about age 16, I'd started looking at fashion magazines. I remember the Sarah Moon photos, cloche hats, velvet gathered shoulder jackets, sweetheart dresses, flared pants. It made a lasting impression on me. So cool. I wish I could see the exhibitions, I'd swoon. 65 now, but there's still magic in it for me. I loved London when I lived there 1993/4, and went to Ken High St Markets (they were a thrill too). '67- 75 I'm nostalgic about, especially the 'boho luxe', 30's look, then psychedelia (fan of Marc Bolan and his style) Then punk came in and that was heady excitement too. Should have been born a Londoner.
HI Angela, thanks for sharing that, I'm 57 so the 80's was my era but being born in Cardiff I visited London as often as i could, I used to go to Kensington Street Market and also Hyper Hyper opposite, I always found it so exciting and was desperate to live in London, I do now and feel very lucky! I have also posted a video about the Biba book launch - where I met Barbara Hulanicki! quite a moment!
Fascinating vlog. I am hoping to see the exhibition in a few weeks when I am next in London. Biba a bit early for me, but I met a fabulous lady who had worked in the store. She was an American who came to London to experience the swinging sixties. She said the store was great fun. Assistants like her all wore masses of black eyeliner and long hair. Society was a but more open then and celebrities popped in. Tgrough one of those random meetings she spent a few years as nanny to one of Mick Jagger's children and had lots of great stories of those glamorous times.
Wonderful video my aunt in the 70’s who was a seamstress and lived in Dublin would make beautiful dresses inspired by BIBA she would use lovely Liberty fabrics 🙏🏻
Thank you so much for adding so much in a short video, would never have access to such exhibitions in my country and seeing the book page throughs and illustrations was such a great extra!!
I used to live near Holland Park and went to Babara Hulaniki's shop in Holland Park Road. I still have a beatiful jacket that I bought there, it's stayed in immaculate condition for all these years,. I visited Biba in Ken High Street on many occasions. I loved it. I would just go and wonder around the shop even when I wasn't buying. It was my go to shop. I've been to the Rainbow Rooms but after Biba had closed.
Thanks for making this - it was very interesting. I am 64 years old and went to big Biba just once in summer 1973 I think when I was 13 going on 14. I went with a schoolfriend. I remember it as being very beautiful. There was a sale on and I bought a pair of lime green, patent platform sandals and a pair of thick blue and brown stripey tights. I must have thrown both out in the late '70's which, of course, I now bitterly regret! I have a memory of buying lovely glittery makeup at the Chelsea Girl boutique in Wood Green, North London at about the same time but can't remember if it was Biba or Mary Quant - probably the latter. I bought, and wore, green lipstick!
I emigrated to NZ 1964 from London missing out on the swinging London and big changes in fashion on my first visit back 1974 my friend took me to Biba in Kensington I was blown away it was a magical place I still remember the details especially coming from the other side of the world which at that time was so behind trends. I couldn’t afford to by much just some cosmetics but I still have a little plastic bag with the Biba logo and still tell people about how amazing the store was when my husband came a few weeks later I took him there as well and we still talk about the products and the way they were displayed. Thank you for the video
Makes me want to go to the Exhibition. I did go to the huge store when I was 15, I worked all Summer to save up and my mum took me from the NE to London on the train and my prime goal was to visit Biba. I remember it was very beautiful but maybe a bit difficult to find things. I didn't have a huge amount of money - maybe £40 in total but was hoping for some great buys. My mum who was a war-time teenager was not impressed!! I don't remember buying anything - maybe a phial of patchouli oil? or some make up. I never got the chance to go again as it closed quite soon after this but I do remember the visit. I was also desperate to see the Rainbow room. It was iconic.
Sixty-nine y/o American here. I loved Biba as a teen. Mary Quant was up in the stratosphere, but Biba seemed more relatable, more feminine. I couldn’t afford the clothes, but oh how I dreamed! And the makeup style was like nothing before (well, actually it was a riff on 1920s flapper style, but with a 60s vibe), a vision from the gods dropped to earth fully formed. Have you watched Lisa Eldridge’s Biba makeup demonstrations here on UA-cam? She even uses actual vintage makeup from her large Biba collection. Fabulous.
Hi, thank you so much for your memories of Biba, I think it must have been an exciting time in fashion. Thanks for telling me about the Lisa Eldridge Biba Makeup demo - I will have a look, Rachel.
I'd like have had liked a guided tour of the exhibition. As a very young woman, I shopped at Biba in Kensington High Street.. Her dresses were somewhat disposable. But I wore my very short dresses with beautiful prints until they fell off my back.The music and incense which permeated the shop was intoxicating.Usually there were hip young men lounging on sofas, waiting for their girlfriends- which added to the allure.
3:00. I was in a thrift store 2 years ago (well, in the UK; you call it a charity shop). I found an old BIBA glass shampoo bottle (empty) for $5.00 !! I was THRILLED ! I collect 1960s cosmetic items and old perfumes. I have some pretty rare Yardley of London make up kits too.
Greetings from regional Victoria here in Australia! I hope this exhibition comes to Australia as I just purchased a 1960s black faux fur Biba coat from someone in Poland and I look forward to wearing it!
Such an interesting vlog. I could chat to you for hours! I started with the mail order catalogue snd then visited every one of the shops regularly, although Big Biba much less. I loved the Kensington Church Street shop the best and bought many many things there. Big Biba was an experience but somehow felt sad, as if Biba had lost its way. I have a few items still but most i wore till they fell apart. Hoping to get to the exhibition before it closes.
I would go every Saturday morning as I lived nearby, I would buy an outfit and some purple lipstick for my Saturday night out at the Hammersmith Palis and then sit on the sofas in the window area and just soak up the atmosphere
i went once when I was 14 - i was addicted - i thought it would be there for ever and if I had known it would closed down i would have gone back - I have a couple of the bottles and a long dress from the original collection
I got married in a registry office in 1973 and my dress was a Biba pale lemon ankle length dress with a small flower print. My going away outfit was also Biba a pink silky two piece skirt and full sleeved top. I dont know what happened to them. .
Hi Lisa, I found the exhibition quite dark, the dark interior of the museum didn't really help I think - although I guess it was appropriate as I think the Biba store interiors were also dark. (If any one visited Biba please comment!) Also new manmade fabrics were in their infancy in the 60's so they did not have the cleverly developed mass market fabrics available today, perhaps that is also part of it.😊
I dressed almost entirely in Biba clothes during my teens. It did go downhill when it got too big and moved to Kensington High street. It was best when it was on Kensington Church street. I also used to go to the first shop on Abington rd, when it was really small.
Had a dark purple coat, 3/4 length coat with off set buttons and side seam pockets. Cotton? Worn out long ago Also have a brown square scarf with airplanes that I used to wear everywhere. Still got.😅 Lost in many moves, address and notebooks, makeup and nail varnish. A teenager Saturday shopper.
@@gemimalondonthere is another vlog by Barabara Hulanicki herself, she describes the dark colours she favoured, mulberry, plum, puce etc, her mother I think called them 'blackout colours'.The dark was all part of the opulent, rather decadent charm, paired with gold and other sparkling highlights.
I was still at school during the height of Biba but in a rear moment, my mother surrendered control and allowed me to go with an older relative to the Kensington store. I think I was 14 or 15 and only remember the shopfront. Biba briefly rose from the Ashes and had a little shop in a side Street off Regent Street - I can't remember which - that I visited. When the brand was acquired by House of Fraser, I did go to the flagship store, but was disappointed. The clothes were a throwback to Biba's hayday, but out of keeping with modern tastes. There is still time for me to catch the exhibition and I shall make sure to go before closure.
I had the pleasure of meeting Barbara when I was design director at BEBE, she was a good friend of Manny Mashouf the owner of BEBE. Very sweet humble extremely talented designer and illustrator. Much respect for her achievements, a true icon.
I visited both the small and big Biba, ate in the Rainbow restaurant- lived in London and used to go every Saturday, I always wanted the grey leopard suit, have a dress I bought in there still. It was an experience that has stayed with me forever.
Hi Judith, thanks for sharing that with us, I am quite envious!
I'm 73 years old and remember Biba so well. Wonderful memories.
Loved the clothes from Biba. I was in my early teens in those days. Couldn’t afford to buy any but with my mums help could make my own clothes. Magic time to grow up.
I lived in East London but when we were 13 in 1974 we used to go to Biba on Saturdays. It was an amazing shop which made a massive impression on me. It was dark, mysterious and very cool. The clothes were so beautiful but we couldn’t afford them. In fact the only thing I remember being bought was a lace fan that my friends clubbed together to get me for my birthday. We used to stand very still posing in the windows pretending to be mannequins and models. Such wonderful memories.
Thanks for sharing Lisa!
I LOVED Biba-went there often (before it went 'commercial' in Kensington high street!.) the clothes were a wonderful fit for a teenager/ plus ,that did not want mumsy 50's clothes. It WAS very dark in the shop which made it more interesting.The colours were more muted lovely!. non of the features i have seen since have shown the great clothes i remember! .My sister worked there for a time -the 'staff' looked brilliant -'fab'makeup & clothes. missed it as never found such good fitting & design since!.
Thanks for sharing!!
I grew up in Arizona and my fashion years of 12 to 20 were all these things! I made a gingham check dressing😮 junior high school and I wore the handkerchief scarf in patchwork and gingham. I told my granddaughter,”Oh my goodness! I wore all these styles and colors! So fun!
I am an American who always wanted to visit the store in London. Brings back so many good memories. Young women today think work out clothes are the thing to wear. People in general, look sloppy. I miss the time when people took the time to dress and make a nice presentation. Great video.
Hi Phyllis, thanks, yes I agree, I think the arrival of "athleisure" wear has made people really lazy!
Thank you for posting, I have such a wistful nostalgia for the styles around in those times. Living in Australia I became aware of the Biba (and Bus Stop) looks at about age 16, I'd started looking at fashion magazines. I remember the Sarah Moon photos, cloche hats, velvet gathered shoulder jackets, sweetheart dresses, flared pants. It made a lasting impression on me. So cool. I wish I could see the exhibitions, I'd swoon. 65 now, but there's still magic in it for me. I loved London when I lived there 1993/4, and went to Ken High St Markets (they were a thrill too). '67- 75 I'm nostalgic about, especially the 'boho luxe', 30's look, then psychedelia (fan of Marc Bolan and his style) Then punk came in and that was heady excitement too. Should have been born a Londoner.
HI Angela, thanks for sharing that, I'm 57 so the 80's was my era but being born in Cardiff I visited London as often as i could, I used to go to Kensington Street Market and also Hyper Hyper opposite, I always found it so exciting and was desperate to live in London, I do now and feel very lucky! I have also posted a video about the Biba book launch - where I met Barbara Hulanicki! quite a moment!
Fascinating vlog. I am hoping to see the exhibition in a few weeks when I am next in London.
Biba a bit early for me, but I met a fabulous lady who had worked in the store. She was an American who came to London to experience the swinging sixties. She said the store was great fun. Assistants like her all wore masses of black eyeliner and long hair. Society was a but more open then and celebrities popped in. Tgrough one of those random meetings she spent a few years as nanny to one of Mick Jagger's children and had lots of great stories of those glamorous times.
Thanks for sharing that Eileen, I hope you get to see the exhibition!
Wonderful video my aunt in the 70’s who was a seamstress and lived in Dublin would make beautiful dresses inspired by BIBA she would use lovely Liberty fabrics 🙏🏻
Hi Kate, that sounds like a great combination!
Thank you so much for adding so much in a short video, would never have access to such exhibitions in my country and seeing the book page throughs and illustrations was such a great extra!!
I used to live near Holland Park and went to Babara Hulaniki's shop in Holland Park Road. I still have a beatiful jacket that I bought there, it's stayed in immaculate condition for all these years,. I visited Biba in Ken High Street on many occasions. I loved it. I would just go and wonder around the shop even when I wasn't buying. It was my go to shop. I've been to the Rainbow Rooms but after Biba had closed.
Hi Sue, thanks for sharing that, it must have been a great experience. The closest I have got is a visit to the roof gardens a few years ago!
Thanks for making this - it was very interesting. I am 64 years old and went to big Biba just once in summer 1973 I think when I was 13 going on 14. I went with a schoolfriend. I remember it as being very beautiful. There was a sale on and I bought a pair of lime green, patent platform sandals and a pair of thick blue and brown stripey tights. I must have thrown both out in the late '70's which, of course, I now bitterly regret! I have a memory of buying lovely glittery makeup at the Chelsea Girl boutique in Wood Green, North London at about the same time but can't remember if it was Biba or Mary Quant - probably the latter. I bought, and wore, green lipstick!
Hi Bernice, thanks for sharing that, I would have love to have visited Biba!
I emigrated to NZ 1964 from London missing out on the swinging London and big changes in fashion on my first visit back 1974 my friend took me to Biba in Kensington I was blown away it was a magical place I still remember the details especially coming from the other side of the world which at that time was so behind trends. I couldn’t afford to by much just some cosmetics but I still have a little plastic bag with the Biba logo and still tell people about how amazing the store was when my husband came a few weeks later I took him there as well and we still talk about the products and the way they were displayed. Thank you for the video
Thank you so much for sharing!
Makes me want to go to the Exhibition. I did go to the huge store when I was 15, I worked all Summer to save up and my mum took me from the NE to London on the train and my prime goal was to visit Biba. I remember it was very beautiful but maybe a bit difficult to find things. I didn't have a huge amount of money - maybe £40 in total but was hoping for some great buys. My mum who was a war-time teenager was not impressed!! I don't remember buying anything - maybe a phial of patchouli oil? or some make up. I never got the chance to go again as it closed quite soon after this but I do remember the visit. I was also desperate to see the Rainbow room. It was iconic.
Thanks so much for sharing that Sue!
Thanks to the introduction to what looks like an incredible line of clothing. Someone should recreate the house.
I was too young to remember Biba but remember the Bus Stop shop we had in Edinburgh. The style was similar to Biba.
I loved Bus Stop in London, very similar to Biba
Sixty-nine y/o American here. I loved Biba as a teen. Mary Quant was up in the stratosphere, but Biba seemed more relatable, more feminine. I couldn’t afford the clothes, but oh how I dreamed! And the makeup style was like nothing before (well, actually it was a riff on 1920s flapper style, but with a 60s vibe), a vision from the gods dropped to earth fully formed. Have you watched Lisa Eldridge’s Biba makeup demonstrations here on UA-cam? She even uses actual vintage makeup from her large Biba collection. Fabulous.
Hi, thank you so much for your memories of Biba, I think it must have been an exciting time in fashion. Thanks for telling me about the Lisa Eldridge Biba Makeup demo - I will have a look, Rachel.
The Biba shop in Kensington was amazing
I'd like have had liked a guided tour of the exhibition. As a very young woman, I shopped at Biba in Kensington High Street.. Her dresses were somewhat disposable. But I wore my very short dresses with beautiful prints until they fell off my back.The music and incense which permeated the shop was intoxicating.Usually there were hip young men lounging on sofas, waiting for their girlfriends- which added to the allure.
3:00. I was in a thrift store 2 years ago (well, in the UK; you call it a charity shop). I found an old BIBA glass shampoo bottle (empty) for $5.00 !! I was THRILLED ! I collect 1960s cosmetic items and old perfumes. I have some pretty rare Yardley of London make up kits too.
Thanks for sharing!!
Greetings from regional Victoria here in Australia! I hope this exhibition comes to Australia as I just purchased a 1960s black faux fur Biba coat from someone in Poland and I look forward to wearing it!
That coat sounds fab!
Such an interesting vlog.
I could chat to you for hours! I started with the mail order catalogue snd then visited every one of the shops regularly, although Big Biba much less. I loved the Kensington Church Street shop the best and bought many many things there. Big Biba was an experience but somehow felt sad, as if Biba had lost its way.
I have a few items still but most i wore till they fell apart.
Hoping to get to the exhibition before it closes.
Hi Jacqueline, thank you for your memories of Biba, I hope you manage to visit the exhibition.
I would go every Saturday morning as I lived nearby, I would buy an outfit and some purple lipstick for my Saturday night out at the Hammersmith Palis and then sit on the sofas in the window area and just soak up the atmosphere
Hi Hannah, thank you for sharing your memories of Biba!
i went once when I was 14 - i was addicted - i thought it would be there for ever and if I had known it would closed down i would have gone back - I have a couple of the bottles and a long dress from the original collection
Thanks for sharing that x
Incredibly interesting video, as I seem to find all of your content. Thank you
thank you Brenda!
Thank you for such an interesting vlog, so lovely to see inside the books. Really need to try and see the exhibition 😄
Hi, yes do try and get to the exhibition, it is so interesting.
Fascinating Rachel. Thank you. 😊
Glad you enjoyed it!
Funny, out of all the celebrities from the past that ; you would IMAGINE shopping there; I keep picturing Angie / Angela Bowie buying up a storm.
I got married in a registry office in 1973 and my dress was a Biba pale lemon ankle length dress with a small flower print. My going away outfit was also Biba a pink silky two piece skirt and full sleeved top. I dont know what happened to them.
.
Hi Lesley, thanks so much for sharing, sounds lovely!
I used the beautiful oversized mail order catalogue I wish I’d kept it ❤
I was quite surprised how ‘dull’ some of the colours were on the items on display.
Hi Lisa, I found the exhibition quite dark, the dark interior of the museum didn't really help I think - although I guess it was appropriate as I think the Biba store interiors were also dark. (If any one visited Biba please comment!)
Also new manmade fabrics were in their infancy in the 60's so they did not have the cleverly developed mass market fabrics available today, perhaps that is also part of it.😊
I dressed almost entirely in Biba clothes during my teens. It did go downhill when it got too big and moved to Kensington High street. It was best when it was on Kensington Church street. I also used to go to the first shop on Abington rd, when it was really small.
Had a dark purple coat, 3/4 length coat with off set buttons and side seam pockets. Cotton?
Worn out long ago
Also have a brown square scarf with airplanes that I used to wear everywhere.
Still got.😅
Lost in many moves, address and notebooks, makeup and nail varnish.
A teenager Saturday shopper.
@@gemimalondonthere is another vlog by Barabara Hulanicki herself, she describes the dark colours she favoured, mulberry, plum, puce etc, her mother I think called them 'blackout colours'.The dark was all part of the opulent, rather decadent charm, paired with gold and other sparkling highlights.
I was still at school during the height of Biba but in a rear moment, my mother surrendered control and allowed me to go with an older relative to the Kensington store. I think I was 14 or 15 and only remember the shopfront. Biba briefly rose from the Ashes and had a little shop in a side Street off Regent Street - I can't remember which - that I visited. When the brand was acquired by House of Fraser, I did go to the flagship store, but was disappointed. The clothes were a throwback to Biba's hayday, but out of keeping with modern tastes. There is still time for me to catch the exhibition and I shall make sure to go before closure.
Yes do visit the exhibition it's really interesting!