Celebrating Biba!
The epitome of vintage London fashion is none other than the iconic Biba Boutique, which opened its doors in 1964. Biba started as a very small mail-order business called Biba’s Postal Boutique, which advertised a cute pink gingham dress in a newspaper called the Daily Mirror. The dress was quite similar to one worn by Miss Stylish Sixties herself – Brigitte Bardot - and up to 17,000 orders were received!
During their humble beginnings, the shop's initial gimmick was that whichever Biba piece seen on the TV show “Ready, Steady, Go” each Friday night could be bought in the store and worn the next Saturday. This attracted fashionistas near and far to snatch up those up-to-date looks. This made the logo more recognizable and made more people want to wear it…a dream for any fashion label! In 1973, Biba hit the big time and moved into a 7-story store in London’s High Street.
In the new store, each floor had a different theme. There was a children’s floor (for the rock-n-roll kids), one for men, books, food and home. EVERYTHING you needed, in fact! The store became a go-to spot for anyone who loved decadence and shopping indulgence. It became known as the ‘theatre for fashion’...which is why it was the inspiration for Deco Haus. Fashion should be theatrical and a celebration and these two brands did and do exactly that!
Oh look above at the absolute FABULOUSNESS of it all. David Bowie even shot some videos in there; it was almost like a Studio 54 shop. It must have been wonderful to enter its doors. It even had a life-size turntable!
Biba was full of innovation and clever ideas. It was, for example the first store that allowed shoppers to try on makeup before they bought it, turning shopping into a whole different experience. It gave Saturday girls something to do each weekend! The shop became a fun destination and hangout for many a wanderer. It even had its own label on dozens of items in the shop.
Sadly the Biba star fell almost as quickly as it rose...the store closed down soon thereafter. However, the Biba brand still lives on, churning out extravagant and elegant pieces, using the beautiful and eclectic muse Daisy Lowe. You can find the brand in House of Fraser. BUT, you can also just click onto thedecohaus.com and find many exclusive and unique pieces inspired by the heyday of the early 70’s. Fashion should be aspirational and fun and thedecohaus.com has that in spades thanks to the influence of Biba.
