Exhibition File – Biba and Beyond: Barbara Hulanicki

Part of the Youthquake movement that hit London in the 1960s, Biba was a high street store like no other. It personified everything cool in the 60s and 70s and was a place where teens could shop along side their idols — models like Twiggy, celebrities like Cathy McGowan, and musicians like David Bowie, Cher, and the Rolling Stones.

Biba started as a mail-order service by fashion designer Barbara Hulanicki. When the first shop opened in 1964, it was a place where the average young woman could buy cheap clothes resembling what celebrities wore. Hulanicki’s mod clothing could create a frenzy among its customers when a new outfit arrived. In 1974, Big Biba, a department store in an Art Deco building, opened. Its departments included children’s, men’s, food, home, and a book store along with young women’s fashions. Hulanicki held exotic parties on the store’s roof.

The exhibition Biba and Beyond: Barbara Hulanicki looks at this cultural and fashion landmark and the woman behind it. The show at the Brighton Museum includes illustrations, film, fashion, music, photography, and ephemera from collectors and individuals who shared in the Biba experience. It runs until April 14.

Address: Brighton Museum & Art Gallery, Royal Pavilion Gardens, Brighton, East Sussex, United Kingdom
Hours: Tuesday-Sunday 10-5
Admission: adults £6, children and members free
Website: www.brighton-hove-rpml.org.uk/WhatsOn/Pages/BMAGBiba22Sep12to14Apr13.asp