Forum Topic

Biba Exhibition

Not Putney, but some may be interested to know that there is an exhibition about Biba at the fashion and Textile Museum in Bermondsey.Haven't been, but it could be a good way to switch off from present news and politics for a while and look back on a different era.

Katrina Black ● 394d28 Comments

David. I'm fairly certain it's no longer there. A couple of times I've walked from Notting Hill Gate to Kensington High Street along Kensington Church Street recently I've seen no sign of it; where I recall it being seems to have been redeveloped - although after three or four decades it could be my memory!

Michael Ixer ● 387d

My wife would put forward Vivienne Westwood’s shop in Kings Road for sheer outrageous fashion and challenging the status quo that put Kings Road Chelsea on the map.

Robert Wheeler ● 387d

When I mentioned to someone this week about the Biba exhibition, she also said how she used to shop there. I think it must have been the most glamorous and exciting fashion shop there has ever been in this country.  Unless, of course, someone can think of anywhere else?

Martine Guy ● 387d

Yes there was - may still be - Jimmy's Wine bar in Church Street. It had been part of the former Kensington barracks I believe.My wife and I both worked in Kensington and it was one of our haunts. As in my wife's case were BIBA and Bus Stop. I very briefly worked for Forbidden Fruit in Kensington Market (they had a shop on corner of King's Rd and Beaufort Street).

David Sharp ● 389d

Katrina, I did see sometime ago that the Biba Exhibition was going to be on, but if you hadn’t mentioned it, I would have missed it.  We hadn’t visited Bermondsey High Street before, so it was great to go somewhere new and we want to go back again. Thanks again.

Martine Guy ● 392d

Thanks Martine. So pleased to hear you enjoyed it. I knew about the museum and the SZandra Rhodes connection. Bermondsey High St is interesting isn't it. Fascinating history too and the connections with the early Labour Party make it an interesting read.

Katrina Black ● 392d

Barbara Hulanicki illustrations are very good, I agree! I'll try to get along to see the exhibition if I can, thanks.I didn't know Biba had a shop in Brighton. I lived in Hove c. 2007 - 2011 so long past the time she would have been present.

Lucille Grant ● 392d

Lucille, I agree with you about the 3 cities.  
I think you would love the Biba exhibition and there was information on the Abingdon Rd shop.  I had wondered if Biba ever opened outside of London, and my question was answered in the info. in one of the rooms, yes Barbara Hulanicki opened a shop in Brighton.  Was it there whilst you lived in Brighton? The room we all liked the most was the one full of Barbara Hulanicki’s fashion illustrations. 

Martine Guy ● 392d

I've been fortunate enough to live in three major cities during my adult life: New York, Paris and London (not counting a brief sojourn in Brighton/Hove). London is still the best of all of them! Proud to be a born n bred Londoner lol

Lucille Grant ● 392d

Katrina, thank you for the recommendation.  We went this afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed it.  The Fashion & Textile Museum is the one founded by Zandra Rhodes.  It is in a wonderful street in Bermondsey, which really made our visit even more enjoyable. The museum is small, as is the exhibition.  We took the train from Waterloo East to London Bridge station. Loved it all.  

Martine Guy ● 392d

Martine. I agree, London is wonderful. I spent my junior years in London and was then cast into the wilderness of the Essex commuter land for my teenage school years but escaped back to London in 1970 and have been based in London since then. And I also remember going to see Clockwork Orange in Leicester Square. Ken High Street was one of my haunts (still is in a way with the big M&S and the annual Astrofest event in the Town Hall ...), although I was more interested in second hand LPs in a shop next to Biba and Ken Market. Also, I seem to have memories of a Wine Bar called Jimmy's at the bottom of Ken Church Street circa 1975?

Michael Ixer ● 393d

Agreed on London! FYI, there's a really good site called The Londonist (https://londonist.com/) that's full of brilliant ideas on interesting things to do and see in London; it sends out a weekly email with current things worth looking into.

Richard Carter ● 393d

PS: I didn't mean to hijack the Biba discussion, just wanted to add the Bert Hardy exhibition as an example of something to take us away from so many bleak current events (and all the blasted election stuff)

Richard Carter ● 394d

Richard, The Pandographer is the top photo.  The other photo is charming and lovely too.  We hope to visit the Exhibition. Lucille, I envy everyone brought up in Central London.  Thanks for the link.  I will have a look later on.  London is wonderful.  It has been everything I hoped and dreamed of.

Martine Guy ● 394d

My Aunt and Uncle lived in Lisgar Terrace, nearly opposite the Olympia. I spent a lot of time over that way when I was young. They also worked years at J.Lyons Offices, Cadby Hall. Loved Kensignton and Oxford St. Loads of shoe shops and clothes. I lived Barnes then, used to be easy on the bus, not now though. Loved the Wimpey in our lunch time.

Barbara Stevens ● 394d

One of these? If you can't get to the exhibition, you can see a wonderful selection online here:
https://printsales.thephotographersgallery.org.uk/artists/56-bert-hardy/works/

Richard Carter ● 394d

Barbara: I lived in Holland Park from 1951 - 1959, then West Kensington until the late 70s. My father had a greengrocers in the High Street opposite where the Odeon used to be (it is tragic it has been demolished imo) That's why I know of Biba in Kensington during the 1960s. Biba opened at 87 Abingdon Road in 1964 and moved in 1966 to Church Street. The final move took place in 1969 before  ending its life as we knew it then, in 1975.Although she opened her first shop in 1955 Mary Quant was the Queen of Kings Road during the 1960s. I attended a grammar school on the borders of Fulham and Chelsea and spent many a happy hour afterwards there. Kings Road today is always so crowded and  not the exciting and pleasant place it once was.Martine: This is an interesting article about the premises in Abingdon Road:https://blog.sciencemuseum.org.uk/from-the-chemists-on-the-corner-to-the-biba-boutique/

Lucille Grant ● 394d

Thanks for the photo, Richard.  We love Bert Harry’s photographs and will go to the Photographers Gallery.  I didn’t know know it had a new location, as it used to be near Leicester Square. Our favourite of Bert Hardy is The Pandographer.  

Martine Guy ● 394d

Did you even live here in the 60's, obviously we dressed better than the women you knew. Mary Quant, Twiggy. We had fantastic shops then. But the way it is going we won't have anything to wear.

Barbara Stevens ● 394d

Great photo!  They’ve clearly pulled themselves together and are getting on with it.

Jonathan Callaway ● 394d

Something else to take your mind away from present events is the Bert Hardy exhibition at the Photographers' Gallery just off Oxford Street (Davies Street). Hardy was a documentary photographer, most famous for his work for Picture Post. His photos are wonderful: just one example is this one, "The girls who gut fish," Hull Fish Dock, 1951.

Richard Carter ● 394d

Lucille, I didn’t know Biba had been in Abingdon Rd before Kensington Church Street.  I will have to look up the number on the internet, so I can walk down there and see where it used to be.  London must have been wonderful in the 1960’s. I did go to Biba when it was in Kensington Church Street.  I loved Bus Stop and was really happy when one opened in Birmingham.  I also visited Mr Freedom’s shop and Kensington Market. On one trip to London, after we finished in KHS, we went to see Clockwork Orange in Leicester Square.  As I said,  Biba brings back my memories of the 1970s.

Martine Guy ● 394d

1960s for me Martine! I followed Biba from her first shop in Abingdon Road (tiny) to Church Street and then to the old Derry and Toms building. Very happy (shopping days).

Lucille Grant ● 394d

Yes Sue, those were the days.

Barbara Stevens ● 394d

both shops!

Sue Hammond ● 394d

Me too Barbara. Both shooed in KC street were very small but when Biba moved into the High Street it was an amazing building. So atmospheric with the decor and lighting and all those beautiful peacock plumes everywhere! Nothing like it then and since. I was always in Kensington Market over the road too and I well remember the strong smell of incense.

Sue Hammond ● 394d

Used to love Biba, used to go in the Lunchtime when it used to be in Church St Kensington. Also The bus Stop clothes shop.

Barbara Stevens ● 394d

Thanks very much for this, Katrina.  I would absolutely love to visit this.  A trip down memory lane back to the 1970’s.

Martine Guy ● 394d