Founded as a boutique mail-order service in 1963, Biba - the brainchild of desig
ner Barbara Hulanicki - quickly gained cult status, and outgrew several London p
remises before landing at 99 - 117 Kensington High Street in 1973 as 'Big Biba',
'the most beautiful store in the world'. This book tells the story of the Biba
years, from the first ensembles, through the four iconic London shops, to the ev
entual flourishing of a lifestyle brand that revolutionized British retail and f
ashion culture. Featuring a wealth of previously unpublished material, including
early fashion illustrations by Hulanicki and full-colour facsimiles of the six
luxurious Biba catalogues, The Biba Years investigates the innovative ethos of t
he company - the first retailer to bring affordable fashion to the young consume
rs of the 1960s and '70s.
Extensive garment photography documents the unique
Biba 'look', while archival images provide a glimpse into the glamorous surround
s of the hugely popular London stores. An ideal companion to A to Biba: The Auto
biography of Barbara Hulanicki (V&A, 2007), this beautiful book incorporates man
y personal insights from the designer and her contemporaries at Biba, and includ
es new illustrations by Hulanicki created specially for the publication. The Bib
a Years provides the last word on a fashion phenomenon, whose extensive impact o
n the fashion industry can still be felt today.
