Closure is a therapeutic good thing... I MAY have lambasted the Biba relaunch once or twice but now I’ve found the Biba zen zone where no hate is needed. It’s all become clear in a ‘Eureka’ moment. Biba’s aiming at an entirely different demographic to what it was decades ago when it was the place for cheap, fast, funky fashion. With Bella Freud having left the scene, the new creative team have crammed as much lux quality into the designs, and suddenly, I ‘geddit’.... it is to be treated as a fashion label with a past that lives on in ‘spirit’ but not in anything else. Or if history and past doesn’t interest you, then it should just be treated as a fashion label that has done a highly cute and covetable AW08-9 collection. The initial spurn on Freud’s collections for Biba grew out of discontent and confusion about what exactly Biba was trying to achieve with its relaunch.
But the undeniable conclusion came, as I rifled through the racks and inspected the shoes at the press day a few months ago, which was that the clothes are heavy and laden with high quality detailing and embellishment whilst being fun with a wide age appeal. It’s lux but not untouchable. So from now on it is back to the drawing board with what Biba is all about. Cut from the past and onwards with clothes that stand up to the prices that they bear...
Glitter, sequins, beading! Bob Mackie excess lives on but in a good way...
Knits that remind you of you of the cardis/jumpers your nan got you...except these are heavier and feels very lush.
The shoes in particular were quite the knockout.... patent, clashy metallic cut-outs, curved heels, shoe boots galore..
