Dress thumbnail 1
Dress thumbnail 2
+1
images
Not on display

Dress

1969 (retailed)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

A dark red full length dress in synthetic satin. The neckline forms a deep wide V that meets the high, underbust waist seam. The sleeves are long and volumous, with a gathered shoulder and wrist.

Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Brief description
Biba, Long dress in dark red synthetic satin, London, 1970.
Physical description
A dark red full length dress in synthetic satin. The neckline forms a deep wide V that meets the high, underbust waist seam. The sleeves are long and volumous, with a gathered shoulder and wrist.
Dimensions
  • Bottom hem of dress circumference: 1500mm
Credit line
Given by Pauline Messenger
Object history
Barbara Hulanicki, founder of Biba, initially worked as a fashion illustrator. After experimenting with selling clothes by mail order through the Daily Mirror, she opened her first Biba store in an old chemist’s shop on Abingdon Road, a quiet cul-de-sac off Kensington High Street in 1964. The clothes were good value, so young working women could shop alongside models, singers and actresses. Hulanicki’s brand represented a ‘lifestyle’ approach that influenced the development of British retail in the 1970s and afterwards.

This outfit demonstrates the eclectic style of the late 1960s; the bias-cut satin dress is reminiscent of 1930s fashion, and was worn with a heavy jacquard-woven waistcoat (T.2-2016) fits in with the taste for medieval romanticism. Unlike many Biba dresses, this example can be securely dated because it was worn as a wedding dress.
Collection
Accession number
T.1-2016

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 Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis.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

Record createdDecember 11, 2015
Record URL
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest