Evening Dress
1973 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Barbara Hulanicki lauched the Biba label with her husband John Fitz Simon in 1963, initially selling clothes by mail order through newspaper advertisements. The success of her affordable, fashionable designs enabled them to open a series of shops in Kensington, London.
Hulanicki created romantic, nostalgic garments for women swept up in the growing craze for second-hand dresses. They loved her sludgy 'Auntie' colours: chocolate browns, rich plums, deep blues. The Biba cosmetics range, with its sepia lipsticks, dark kohls and khaki eye-shadows, completed a look which precociously blended youthful rebellion with vampish, silent-movie sophistication.
Hulanicki created romantic, nostalgic garments for women swept up in the growing craze for second-hand dresses. They loved her sludgy 'Auntie' colours: chocolate browns, rich plums, deep blues. The Biba cosmetics range, with its sepia lipsticks, dark kohls and khaki eye-shadows, completed a look which precociously blended youthful rebellion with vampish, silent-movie sophistication.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Viscose jersey |
| Brief description | Viscose jersey evening dress by Biba, London, 1973. |
| Physical description | Brown draped viscose jersey evening dress. |
| Credit line | Given by Sarah Thauerer |
| Object history | Registered File number 1988/816. |
| Summary | Barbara Hulanicki lauched the Biba label with her husband John Fitz Simon in 1963, initially selling clothes by mail order through newspaper advertisements. The success of her affordable, fashionable designs enabled them to open a series of shops in Kensington, London. Hulanicki created romantic, nostalgic garments for women swept up in the growing craze for second-hand dresses. They loved her sludgy 'Auntie' colours: chocolate browns, rich plums, deep blues. The Biba cosmetics range, with its sepia lipsticks, dark kohls and khaki eye-shadows, completed a look which precociously blended youthful rebellion with vampish, silent-movie sophistication. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.106-1988 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | March 17, 2006 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSON
