Biba facts for kids
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| Private | |
| Industry | Fashion |
| Fate | Closed by the British Land Company |
| Founded | August 1964 (first store opens) |
| Founder | Barbara Hulanicki, Stephen Fitz-Simon |
| Defunct | 1975 |
| Headquarters |
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UK
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Key people
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Barbara Hulanicki, Stephen Fitz-Simon |
Biba was a super cool fashion store in London during the 1960s and 1970s. It was started by a talented designer named Barbara Hulanicki from Poland. She ran Biba mainly with help from her husband, Stephen Fitz-Simon.
Contents
Biba's Early Days
Biba started out quite small. Many of its clothes were affordable for everyone. You could even order them by mail! The very first Biba store opened in September 1964. It was located on Abingdon Road in Kensington, London.
Mail Order Success
Biba's mail-order business had a huge success in May 1964. They offered a pink gingham dress in the Daily Mirror newspaper. This dress had a special hole cut out at the back of the neck. It also came with a matching triangular scarf.
A famous actress, Brigitte Bardot, had worn a similar dress. This made Biba's dress very popular. The morning after the ad, over 4,000 orders came in! In total, about 17,000 of these dresses were sold. After this big success, Biba moved to a bigger store. This new store was on Kensington Church Street.
Barbara Hulanicki had studied at Brighton Art College. She worked as a fashion artist in the late 1950s. She later married Stephen Fitz-Simon, who worked in advertising. Together, they opened their mail-order clothing company. Barbara named it Biba's Postal Boutique. Biba was actually the nickname of her younger sister, Biruta.
The Amazing Big Biba Store
In 1973, Biba moved to an even bigger location. It took over the seven-story Derry & Toms department store. This move was supported by companies like Dorothy Perkins and British Land. The new store was called "Big Biba."
Big Biba quickly became super popular. Up to a million customers visited it every week! This made it one of London's most visited places. The store had many different sections. Each floor had its own special theme.
Inside Big Biba
There was a floor just for kids and one for men. You could also find a book store and a food market. The "home" floor sold things like wallpaper, paint, and furniture. The whole store had a cool Art Deco look. It reminded people of old Hollywood movies.
The displays were very creative. For example, in the children's department, there was a giant Snoopy and his doghouse. This is where Peanuts comic strip merchandise was sold.
The Food Hall and Restaurant
The Biba Food Hall was also designed in a clever way. Each section was made for a specific product. A unit shaped like a dog held dog food. This dog was based on Barbara Hulanicki's own Great Dane dog, Othello. There was also a huge baked beans can filled with only baked beans. Another display looked like a can of "Warhol's Condensed Soup." All the food items had unique and fun displays.
Big Biba also had "The Rainbow Restaurant." It was on the fifth floor of the department store. This restaurant became a popular spot for rock stars. But it was open to everyone, not just famous people. With all these cool features, Biba became known as a "theatre for fashion." The Kensington Roof Gardens were also at this location. They are still there today!
Why Biba Closed
Running Big Biba was a huge challenge. It cost a lot of money and needed a lot of organizing. Barbara Hulanicki and Stephen Fitz-Simon felt they had to keep growing. But this big project brought serious money problems. These problems were too much for them to handle alone.
Because of this, Dorothy Perkins and Dennis Day stepped in. They bought 75% of Biba. This created a new company called Biba Ltd. This meant the brand and store could get proper funding.
However, Barbara Hulanicki had disagreements with the new owners. She felt she was losing control over her creative ideas. So, she decided to leave the company. Soon after she left, in 1975, Biba was closed down. The British Land Company made this decision. The owners of Dorothy Perkins thought the Derry and Toms building was worth more than the struggling Biba business.
Biba's Comebacks
After Biba closed, there were several tries to bring it back. The first attempt happened as early as 1977. Another relaunch took place in the mid-1990s. Monica Zipper was the main designer then.
Barbara Hulanicki has never been involved in any of these relaunches. She has often said she was unhappy about them. She felt they didn't truly represent the original Biba style.
In May 2006, the Biba label was relaunched again. This time, designer Bella Freud was in charge. Barbara Hulanicki was still not contacted. She said it was "very, very painful." She believed the new Biba would "betray its heritage." Bella Freud's first collection was shown in September 2006. Some people felt it was too expensive. They also thought it didn't have enough of the original Biba style. Freud left the company in June 2007. This relaunch also failed, and the company faced problems again in 2008.
House of Fraser bought the company in November 2009. They planned another relaunch with their own design team. Daisy Lowe became the new face of the brand. This relaunch was very successful. It sold better than other House of Fraser brands quickly.
Meanwhile, Barbara Hulanicki designed clothes for other stores. She still expressed her unhappiness with the new Biba. She said it was "too expensive" and didn't look like the original Biba. She also worked with Asda to create affordable clothing collections.
Finally, in 2014, good news arrived. It was announced that Barbara Hulanicki would become a consultant for the Biba brand. She signed an agreement with House of Fraser.
Biba's Lasting Impact
Biba left a big mark on fashion and pop culture.
- A musical play about Barbara Hulanicki and Biba was being planned in 2009. It was called Biba: The Musical.
- The band Grammatics mentioned "Biba dresses" in their song "Inkjet Lakes."
- The Pet Shop Boys song "Requiem in Denim and Leopardskin" mentions "Biba's closing sale."
- In the film Made in Dagenham (set in 1968), the main character borrows a red Biba dress.
- Edward Rogers wrote a song called "The Biba Crowd."
- In the film Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), Freddie Mercury's former fiancé, Mary Austin, works at the Biba store. There are several mentions of Biba in the movie. Freddie even tries on a velvet suit from the women's department. In one scene, Freddie compliments Mary's coat, and she replies, "Thank you, it's Biba."
