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Beyond Biba & Barbara Hulanicki. Brighton Museum & Art Gallery 22 September 2012 to 14 April 2013
Walking in from the bright Lanes of Brighton, the cavernous entrance hall of Brighton Museum and Art Gallery is at first disappointing. That is, until you enter the rooms dedicated to Beyond Biba. Crammed full of exquisitely dressed mannequins, wonderfully rich textiles, bold prints and elegant cuts, Beyond Biba holds all the colour and life of Britain’s streets in the 1960s. The retrospective exhibition celebrates Barbara Hulanicki, the woman behind the cult label that transformed Britain’s high-street shopping in the 60s and 70s, and her incredibly successful later career in fashion illustration, interior design and architecture. Biba started out as a mail order service that provided attractive, affordable designs. Success came in May 1964 when Biba’s postal boutique offered a pink gingham dress, similar to one worn by Brigitte Bardot, to Daily Mail readers. It became an iconic Biba design and was purchased 17,000 times. After the success of this venture became apparent, Hulanicki moved Biba to its first shop on Abingdon Road in Kensington later that year. It was this shop - and the atmosphere and experience that went with it - that established Barbara and Biba’s seismic impact on Britain’s fashion industry. The store set a new precedent for shopping, with it’s
promenade -spring
Art Nouveau and Hollywood glamour décor, dark lighting, loud music, communal changing rooms and stylish shop assistants. The mix between accessible and elite created a cult following. Celebrities such as Cher, Sonny, Julie Christie and Cilla Black were all known to shop at this same store, where everyday working women shopped. It seemed that women everywhere were all eager for Hulanicki’s romantic, sensual designs. The exhibition captures the excitement that surrounded the Biba label, using ephemera, illustrations, and photography, as well memories from those who followed Biba’s success and collected her garments, to recreate a sense of the shop. This insight into 60s Britain shows how revolutionary Hulanicki’s marketing tactics were, and highlights the impact they still have on us today: shops such as All Saints and Urban Outfitters have followed her lead in creating dimly lit atmospheric shops that entice the customer in with their full bodied experience. The clothes themselves are beautiful: Biba colours of sludgy blues, plums and pinks are interspersed with rich golds and striking blacks. The body-conscious, often ankle length designs have clear-cut forms that make each piece a miniature sculpture. Barbara Hulanicki’s championing of maxi coats can be seen in the form of a beautiful classic tweed, as well as a