I haven't ranted about something as singularly as I have about Biba's relaunch (do a quickie search at the right)... probably because at the time when I was just starting up my blog, it was one of the 'big' London fashion stories. I also had a bit more rage back then. Now I'm slowly mellowing into a position where I can sit on a porch with some iced tea and just enthuse over stuff. Or maybe there's more to be enthusiastic about. Such as Barbara Hulanicki's new collection for Topshop which launches in-store and online next Tuesday (ALL stores get a drop I hear including the crazy queues New York branch...). The fact that the woman has openly voiced opinions similar to my initial rant about Biba's return already made me beam. So today when I got the chance to meet her in the flesh at the Barbara Hulanicki for Topshop preview I was even more chuffed. Especially when upon speaking to her, I found a woman who is on the ball more than ever. Biba back in the day was mass-production at its most desirable and she likens Topshop to doing the same thing today. I think I might have grinned a little when she commented on my colour combination of my teal Rodier blazer, my Fortuny-esque pleated fuschia dress and my Viv Westwood for Melissa flats (still in flats I'm afraid for all-purpose walking...)... and as she was studying my outfit, it felt like she was taking in mental notes, niggling at a possibility of future collections after this initial drop...
The initial sketches above were developed into the prints for the chiffon and silk pieces for the collection, which Hulanicki insisted was supposed to be far away from what Biba was. Instead, it contains a slight hint of Biba's era (the loose and flirty shapes...) mixed with Hulanicki's own whimsical touches.
In that Grazia-esque way, I predict the pieces that will go first will be this grey suede jacket (the most expensive at £125) and matching shorts, the minidress printed with something that is a cross between leopard print and blotches. I rather like the idea of mixing the print in different colours together.
