To mark the 60th anniversary of the opening of Biba’s first boutique on 87 Abingdon Road, this September Kerry Taylor Auctions celebrates all things Biba. We feature a week-long online-only auction and exhibition of Biba clothes, accessories and ephemera, and will be hosting and collaborating on several special events throughout the week.
The auction opens for bidding at 9:00 am on Monday the 9th of September and will begin closing at 7:00 pm on Monday the 16th. Comprising over 160 lots the sale spans Biba’s history– from its inception as a mail-order boutique to the multi-sensory extravagance of the Big Biba store on Kensington High Street.
Biba is regarded as one of Britain’s most important fashion brands, not only because of the innovative L-darted busts, unusual sleeve shapes and dazzling fabrics that illuminated the British fashion scene at such a vital time of change but also due to its influence on how fashion companies conduct business that is still reflected in the high street today.
After starting a mail-order boutique in 1963 (named Biba after the designer’s sister), Barbara Hulanicki was featured in the Daily Mirror alongside one of her dresses. A simple gingham design with a matching headscarf. This outfit captured the imagination of a generation, eventually amassing a staggering 17,000 orders. Hulanicki opened the first Biba store in September 1964 on 87 Abington Road and within 16 months had moved to a larger premises at 19-21 Kensington Church Street (where Vogue editor Anna Wintour famously used to work on Saturdays). The clothes were imaginative, colourful, young, and affordable – a democratizing force in fashion that shaped the way people of all backgrounds could suddenly choose to dress. Hulanicki’s designs had broad references taken from Edwardian night shirts, to Cossack uniforms and the Renaissance, yet she kept them exuberantly contemporary – her clothes were ‘happening’. And while other copycat boutiques began to pop-up all over London, Barbara stayed ahead of the curve.
On the 10th of September 1973 Barbara opened Big Biba, a vast and ambitious project that spanned the 100,000 square foot, seven-floor building of the old Derry & Toms department store at 99-117 Kensington High Street. The space transcended the prevailing ideas of what a clothing store was, instead becoming a multi-sensory experience and destination. The original building was created in the Art Deco style but the interiors, designed by Tim Whitmore and Steve Thomas, drew from various sources such as Victorian, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, pop art and post-modernism, the lighting was low and each floor became an immersive environment that complemented its specific contents. There was a ‘Lolita’ children’s floor replete with toadstools, a maternity section featuring comically outsized furniture and for menswear they included a ‘mistress’ area where men could discreetly peruse more sensual items. And then there was the dazzling multi-coloured rainbow room – a celebrity hotspot billed as a place to ‘eat, drink, meet friends, dance and be happy in’, that attracted the likes of David Bowie, Mick Jagger and Bryan Ferry. It was the first ‘lifestyle’ store in London selling everything from cane furniture and slippery satin sheets to dog food. On top of the building stood an immense roof garden, which (thanks to it becoming Grade II listed) still retains many of its original features today. Sprawling over 1.5 acres, well-heeled guests relaxed there for afternoon tea amongst the resident flamingos and against the iconic skyline of the Swinging City. Big Biba was not a shop, it was an entire universe, and being a ‘Biba Girl’ became a full-time lifestyle.
While Biba closed its doors in 1975 after changes to the management structure of Biba Ltd, the spirit and innovations of Hulanicki’s work live on. In 2010 she was acknowledged by the New York Times as being the inventor of fast fashion and it has often been noted that major brands such as Topshop and Zara owe the ambitious nature of their business models to her. The recent retrospective curated by Martin Pel at the Fashion and Textiles Museum in Bermondsey has seen record numbers coming through their doors and as testament to the prevailing allure of the designs, many people continue to collect Biba clothes today. Viva la Biba!
The Pari Collection
Pari first came across Biba in the 1980s at a stall on Portobello Road Market. She was held spellbound by the striking cut of a 1974 brown double-breasted jacket with exaggerated shoulders and saved up to pay for it in instalments every week. What began as fascination soon grew into an obsession and Pari has since amassed one of the largest private collections of Biba clothes, shoes, accessories, cosmetics and ephemera in the world; even becoming the subject of books, newspaper articles and TV-shows. We are delighted that 147 of the lots in this auction come from her world-renowned wardrobe.
Public Viewing times
Monday 9th September – 11am-5pm
Tuesday 10th September – 10am-5pm
Wednesday 11th September 10am-5pm
Thursday 12th September - Closed for School of Historical dress event
Friday 13th September 10am-5pm (some items may not be viewable on this day)
Saturday 14th September - Closed
Sunday 15th September – 12pm-5pm
Monday 16th September – 10am-5pm
Special Events
To coincide with the historic Biba anniversary and to celebrate Barbara Hulanicki’s brief return to London we have organised and collaborated on the following events:
An Evening With Barbara Hulanicki, Biba book preview and Biba Girl! exhibition
Tuesday 10th September, 6-9pm (anniversary of the opening of Big Biba on Kensington High Street)
A private reception at our saleroom where the Biba designer will converse with curator and author Martin Pel, discussing some of her favourite pieces from the Biba Girl! Auction. Copies of Barbara and Martin’s new book, Biba: The Fashion Brand that Defined a Generation, signed by the authors, will be available to buy on the night. Pari will also be available to discuss aspects of her collection. This event is by invitation only and is now full.
The content, cut, construction & context of Biba garments, 1968–73
Thursday 12th September, 10am-6pm
Join Jenny Tiramani and Claire Thornton from The School of Historical Dress at the KTA saleroom to learn about the innovative techniques employed to make iconic Biba garments and acquire the knowledge to make your own. Tickets Available HERE
Lot 97 - A Biba striped blue wool jersey dress, circa 1973
Sold for £200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 98 - A Biba purple wool jersey evening ensemble, 1973
Sold for £200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 99 - A Biba printed crêpe marocaine maxi dress, circa 1973
Sold for £320
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 100 - A Biba lavender cotton maxi dress, circa 1973
Sold for £300
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 101 - A Biba navy and white polka dot linen dress, circa 1973
Sold for £200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 102 - A Biba faux fur capelet and moss crêpe maxi dress, circa 1973
Sold for £260
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 104 - A Biba printed cotton shirt-dress, circa 1973
Sold for £360
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 105 - A Biba black wool jersey suit, circa 1973
Sold for £440
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 106 - A rare Biba girl's lace dress, circa 1973
Sold for £100
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 107 - A group of Biba satin separates, circa 1973
Sold for £280
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 108 - A Biba brown and white floral printed nylon jersey smock top, circa 1973
Sold for £340
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 109 - A group of Biba party garments, circa 1973
Sold for £550
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 110 - A pair of Biba lamé wedges, circa 1973
Sold for £550
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 111 - A rare pair of Biba metallic pink leather platform heels, circa 1970
Sold for £300
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 112 - A rare pair of Biba red suede heels, circa 1974
Sold for £1,300
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 114 - A Biba floral printed cotton jersey summer dress, circa 1974
Sold for £100
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 117 - A Biba checked beige and black wool jacket, circa 1974
Sold for £320
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 118 - A Biba faux-fur swing-back coat, circa 1974
Sold for £380
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 119 - A Biba bronze satin lounging pyjama set, circa 1974
Sold for £260
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 120 - A Biba black satin over-dress, circa 1974
Sold for £160
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 121 - A Biba black satin cocktail dress, circa 1974
Sold for £260
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 122 - A Biba floral printed rayon jersey day dress, circa 1974
Sold for £160
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 123 - A Biba floral printed rayon jersey maxi dress, circa 1974
Sold for £260
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 124 - A Biba sequined black brushed wool jersey dress, circa 1974
Sold for £420
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 125 - A Biba cheetah print cotton jersey halterneck dress, circa 1974
Sold for £280
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 126 - A Biba lavender satin halterneck dress, circa 1974
Sold for £120
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 128 - A Biba champagne rayon bengaline ensemble, circa 1974
Sold for £200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 130 - A Biba black faux fur jacket, circa 1974
Sold for £360
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 131 - A Biba black and grey checked polyester maxi coat, circa 1974
Sold for £220
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 132 - A good Biba brown gabardine double-breasted jacket, circa 1974
Sold for £550
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 133 - A Biba printed wool coat dress, circa 1974
Sold for £260
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 134 - A Biba black wool jersey dress, circa 1974
Sold for £80
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 135 - A Biba black moss crêpe dress, circa 1974
Sold for £140
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 136 - A Biba moss crêpe wrap dress, circa 1974
Sold for £180
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 137 - A Biba floral printed satin ensemble, circa 1974
Sold for £200
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 140 - A Biba lavender muslin dress, circa 1974
Sold for £360
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 141 - A Biba black and brown checked viscose jersey swing coat and hat, circa 1974
Sold for £260
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
Lot 144 - A group of Biba partywear, circa 1974
Sold for £320
Buyer's premium: 25% (exclusive of VAT)
