Hello Atelier 008

Barbara Hulanicki

November 17, 2016

Fashion designer Barbara Hulanicki talks about her iconic London store Biba, and how she ended up in Miami - by way of Brazil - designing interiors.

Hello Atelier 008

Barbara Hulanicki

For the grand finale of season one of Hello Atelier, we are so excited to sit down with legendary fashion designer Barbara Hulanicki. From 1964 to 1975, Barbara’s store Biba was where those in the know in London – including the likes of Mick Jagger, David Bowie and Twiggy – went for the best clothes.

Enter to win!

Biba Book Giveaway!

Want to see more of Barbara’s work and immerse yourself in the glamorous world of Biba? Enter to win one of six books on Barbara’s work and life! From the decadent Biba Years to Barbara’s fascinating autobiography From A to Biba, you’ll find inspiration 0n every page.

But Biba wasn’t just for celebrities. Barbara’s beautiful clothes – and later shoes, cosmetics, home furnishings and more – were priced low enough for everyone to enjoy them. People flocked to the store to get a little bit of Biba glamour for themselves. In fact, by 1973, Biba was attracting a million visitors a week (!!), and by the time it closed, it had reached icon status.

Barbara didn’t quit designing after Biba. In fact, an opportunity given to her by Ronnie Wood of the Rolling Stones reinvented her as a successful hotel interior designer. Today, Barbara’s designs are still sought after, and she is endowing everything from wallpaper to t-shirts with her special Biba glamour.

  • IconClub: See Barbara’s clothing venture featuring her fashion illustrations and tees, totes and scarves.
  • Barbara Hulanicki Design: Visit Barbara’s website to see even more images from her portfolio of work.
  • From A to Biba: Barbara’s autobiography tells it all – from her early years growing up in Jerusalem to the height of the Biba years to life after Biba.
  • The Biba Years: A must-have book for any design lover. It is filled with gorgeous pictures of Barbara’s drawings, designs and, of course, the store.
  • Seamless from Biba: A visual history of Barbara’s design legacy – an all-encompassing look at an amazing product designer.
  • Barbara Hulanicki’s Fashion Illustration Workbook: Barbara’s newest book allows you to take her fashion illustrations to the next level. Draw and color on her ideas and images to make your own fashion creations!

6 comments

  1. Amy Beck says:

    Is there a 60’s woman alive who didn’t dream of looking and being Bibadorable?!

    1. 83729567484 says:

      I dream of being Bibadorable now!! If only… Thanks for listening!

  2. Elise says:

    I would LOVE any of these books! Thanks for the contest!

  3. Jen O says:

    Love that you were able to interview her (!!!!)
    I was so inspired, I posted a bit on Barbara in my blog (with a link back to your interview).
    Looking forward to your next topic of interest, thanks for posting such fun pieces.
    (http://pintuckstyle.blogspot.com/2016/11/barbara-hulanicki-and-biba.html)

    1. Betsy Blodgett says:

      Hi Jen!

      It was soo exciting, in fact, I’m still excited about it! Your post was great, thanks so much for linking back to the podcast. I feel like I should go on a search for all her patterns – but one thing I don’t need is more vintage patterns! But still, it is tempting…

  4. Hi Betsy. Love what you are doing and the book is amazing. M

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