Biba and Beyond

A new exhibition at Brighton’s Museum and Art Gallery will look back at how Brighton design graduate Barbara Hulanicki created a retail revolution in 1960s with her now legendary fashion brand, Biba.

Barbara, graduated in the early 60s, initially embarking on a career as a fashion illustrator working for Paris fashion shows and magazines including Vogue and Tatler, before opening her first Biba store in London’s Kensington in 1964. After Biba closed in 1975, Barbara continued a highly successful career in international fashion, interior design and architecture.

Barbara is a keen supporter of the faculty’s work and is still in contact with staff and students. In 2009 she visited fellow graduates and current students to share her memories and industry knowledge.

The exhibition is the first attempt to cover the entirety of Hulanicki’s life and work and draws on a collection of some 3,000 pieces from two of the largest collectors in the world, plus individual donations from the public who have hung-on to treasured items.

The exhibition aims to tell Barbara’s story alongside that of her work. Born in Warsaw to Polish parents, her father was assassinated in Palestine when she was 12 years old and she and her two sisters, Beatrice and Biba were brought to Brighton by their aunt Sophie.

The exhibition entitled Biba and Beyond: Barbara Hulanicki, runs from 22 September 2012 to 14 April 2013.