Biba is Back at Browns!!!!

[helena]

IT'S ALRIGHT, BIBA'S COMING BACK

YASMIN SEWELL has proved herself to be at the very forefront of fashion once again by rediscovering BIBA, no less. The Browns Focus buyer heard wind that Michael Pearce, the man credited with bringing Ugg to the UK, had bought the global license in a bid to relaunch the much-loved brand, got herself straight down there and bought several pairs of lace-stamped leather and hippy chick flower shoes for the shop within 10 minutes. "They're redoing some of the old archive pieces and some new stuff," says Sewell. "It's the same label and the same feeling. It's incredibly exclusive and just gorgeous. They're even using the original Biba lasts for the shoes." Designed by Tony Cappiello, with creative direction from Pearce, the first collection will feature bags and shoes while, for autumn/winter 2005-6, Bella Freud and Fiona Knapp will add clothes and jewellery into the equation. "We'll be doing something at London Fashion Week but we haven't decided yet what that will be," says Naihala Lasharie who has taken on the PR for the born-again label (and whose dog, coincidentally named Biba, is yapping around her ankles as she talks about it). "It won't be traditional catwalk though – we're thinking of something more theatrical. And Michael is toying with the idea of advertising for the autumn season, but no decisions have been made about who we'll use." The label, which will be more expensive than the original with shoes selling for between £180 and £400, will sell in the best shops all over the world and it's bound to be welcomed back into open fashion arms. "I'm really fortunate to be working with the label," says Cappiello. "I studied Biba when I was at Cordwainers and I grew up with a sister who was a big fan of it." (November 9 2005, AM)

from vogue.com

 

[CocktailChic]

I remember Biba from when I first arrived in UK. Love their stuff. Its great that they are relaunching it.

I don't remember ther prices being that high though...

 

[Meg]

The thing is this stuff is just SO overpriced and i find it upsetting because wasn't the whole idea behind Biba originally was so you could go in and buy a whole outfit from head to toe. I always associate it with a sort of original Topshop and clearly this is more about seeing an opportunity in the market and capitalizing on it, than actually bringing Biba back to life

 

[melt977]

^ Oh! I was so ready to write the same thing!!!!! They might have called it something else instead of Biba, because , to me, Biba is the whole concept and not just the line.... It's fashion for the mainstream who cannot afford high fashion and brands... so what's the point now?

 

[vintage_princess]

Yeah I agree..I remember when Biba shoes were sold in catalogues years ago.

 

[softgrey]

just buy the original vintage pieces for a fraction of the cost...

 

[susie_bubble]

Seems to be a lot of press being bandied about for Biba's Relaunch for 2006 so I thought I'd bump up this thread, create some hype as it were!

I'm v. impressed with the shoe collection they have bought out for Spring 2006 (just a massive fan of chunky chunky heels). I have not yet seen pricing yet but if it's around the 100-200 pound mark, then I would say that it's reasonable.
From their website, I gather that Biba is re-inventing itself as a higher end label as opposed to its original ethos:
Screencapped from bibaexperience.com

 

[susie_bubble]

Here is the shoe collection that's available now. Biba seems to be relaunching in every way possible (clothes, cosmetics, glasses, jewellery and bags to come!)

 

[susie_bubble]

All pics screencapped from www.bibaexperience.com

 

[Pastry]

^ wow, i love the shoes!

..but i can't help but think that maybe BIBA is best left as a (very) fond memory...you're right guys, i too have always associated biba with brands like H&M and topshop, it's the idea of spending your paycheque and getting a wardrobe..

and biba was such a dream, dark and moody..not to mention fantastic clothes! i feel cheated that it has been made into another expensive line.

ever since i found out about biba, i've been so obesses and secretly wishing that one day it will be resurrrected, but like i said, i don't think it's fair to make it soemthing else. true, it's not great to xerox the past, but i think in this case it would feel right...

 

[softgrey]

thanks a lot susie...
very curious to see the rest now......

althought they say they are not trying to be retro--still looks pretty retro to me......

 

[Guessgirl96]

I think the red and the glittery ones are kinda cute. Biba is before my time so this is all new to me

 

[melt977]

I read in the Feb. UK Vogue, that Sam McKnight the hairstylist is a vintage collector and apparently he has given all of his original BIBA collection to Kate Moss!

 

[Meg]

I like the wedge and the others are alright. To me though, part of the essence of Biba is it's affordability....it feels like they are just trying to make money off a great brand instead of bring it back to it's glory.

 

[impossibleprincess]

That's just wrong-the prices are crazy-Biba was cheap even for a few decades ago and they've ruined it.

 

[gardenpea]

That's just wrong-the prices are crazy-Biba was cheap even for a few decades ago and they've ruined it.

Here's a absolute incredible concept, they re-launch it and what do they do? Inflate the prices, doesn't target the best possible market, the shop online features barely 20 pieces and no clue about where you can shop.

All so wrong... They should have re-invented it with prices aligned with Topshop and likes, refreshed it with a taste of 21st Century and open a shop in every big city of UK. Duh what a waste of a concept. There was so much more than this to do...

 

[Cicciolina]

I found a Biba dress I loved at a store here in Sydney (The Corner Shop, owned by Belinda Seper) and it was AU$995 which is about 400 pounds or 800USD. Just a plain polyester shift dress, boat neck, long sleeve, mini, pull over the head, that's it, although the print was fantastic. And made in China. I didn't understand why it was so expensive. The only thing that made it different to a chainstore dress was the amazing print (I guess owning the license is quite expensive, would they have to pay copyright fees to use certain prints too?) and the label

 

[leyla m.]

the F/W 07 collection wasnt all that great at ALL

 

[brian]

^ the clothes weren't as bad as s/s but the shoes were pretty awful.