Biba S/S 08 London

[disco54]

Bella's version was awful, way too literal but 10x the price... What's the point of buying more expensive copies? And this is even worse, way too military-prep. Biba should be left to rest in peace, but if revived, the influences need to be traced further down the line... rather than directly copped. And this... why even call this Biba?

i think she has improved A LOT , well everything is derivative , biba derives from 30s/40s ....she has updated it with sneakers and stuff........i find this collection quite nice...thats coming from someone who thought her fall collection was garbage.

 

[jennifer~]

i think she has improved A LOT , well everything is derivative , biba derives from 30s/40s ....she has updated it with sneakers and stuff........i find this collection quite nice...thats coming from someone who thought her fall collection was garbage.

I feel you; I just think a better approach would have involved staying true to the original influences (30s, 40s...) but leaving everything else more open, just to keep it from becoming pricier copies while retaining that 'Biba spirit'. Imagine the original Biba were born today, y'know, not in the '60s? Of course the original 60-70s Biba would always be my favorite--but just for the sake of a relaunch...

 

[BerlinRocks]

sometimes i'm just taking fashion for what it is... not reaching experimental stuff or sensational cut and blabla... just take it for something to wear on the streets...
and in this case, i think i like this collection...
if i were a sweet hippie lolita i would wear some of these to flirt with my teacher....
but sometimes i think about season... and this is NOT for summer - nor it is for winter!!! It looks like for Spring/Autumn...

i'm waiting for a video, too... because some stuff look weird on photos...

 

[RobinLondon]

Not bad - everything looks quite wearable but its got horrible shades of 'high street' about it.

 

[chloehandbags]

I can't help feeling that, with all the inspiration they, presumably, have to work with from the Biba archives, these collections should be better.

Surely it can't be that hard to come up with a luxe, slightly modernised, version of the original line?

For example, why aren't they making more use of the Art Nouveau and Art Deco inspirations for the original line?

I know this collection has a watered down 1920s - 1940s feel, but the patterns are pretty dull and many of the the colour combinations are pretty uninspiring, IMO.

 

[Bidwell]

I believe Liberty has taken possesion of the Art Nouveau/Deco territory with their line.

This collection I find very dispersive. Flapper/sneaker, 70's hostess, 40's nurse all thrown together with no print direction to speak of and colours/combos that certainly don't seem spring-summer.

The cut of the pants and shorts are horrendous. Even stick thin models look ungainly in them.

 

[Alejandro]

biba?! i thought this crap went out of business

 

[Alejandro]

i think she has improved A LOT , well everything is derivative , biba derives from 30s/40s ....she has updated it with sneakers and stuff........i find this collection quite nice...thats coming from someone who thought her fall collection was garbage.

I beg to differ, I thought the fall 07 collection was a lot better than this!

and, according to that bio on the first page ..... s/s 08 is designed by "a team of 5 people" and not bella!

 

[chloehandbags]

I believe Liberty has taken possesion of the Art Nouveau/Deco territory with their line.

Art Nouveau features so prominently in Liberty's history (Arthur Liberty was instrumental in the development of the Art Nouveau movement, through his encouragement of its designers), that it was inevitable, that, at some point, they would reproduce it again and I think the result is, characteristically, lovely and demonstrates how one can, successfully, draw from one's past.

However, as you no doubt know, Art Nouveau was such a huge movement in the late 19th - early 20th Century and its late 1960s and 1970s reincarnation so long-lived and widespread; that I don't think Liberty can even begin to own the entire Art Nouveau territory.

Liberty aren't even alone - Art Nouveau also, fairly recently, featured in the Miu Miu A/W '04 and Roberto Cavalli A/W '06 collections (and perhaps also others?); but I think there's still plenty of room for much more, particularly from Biba.

Art Nouveau inspiration is almost as prominent in Biba's history as the original Art Nouveau movement is in Liberty's; Biba's original logo was Art Nouveau-inspired, after all. The only real differences being that Biba's Art Nouveau influences were, very much, via the mid-to-late '60s - early '70s, of course, which, inevitably, gave it quite a different feel and that, unlike Liberty, Biba isn't really Biba anymore; so they aren't really drawing from their own past, but from someone else's.

In fact, Art Nouveau motifs are so, inexorably, linked with Biba, that many people, who are not aware of the original movement, appear to associate Art Nouveau, entirely, with them. A recent example - when Roberto Cavalli produced his Art Nouveau-inspired print, the general assumption seemed to be that he had ripped-off Biba!

I think that by not addressing this association (and the later Art Deco association), Biba are missing a massive trick. Yes, some people may complain that it is too obvious and/or derivative - but that is, surely, the whole point of reincarnating a line like this, in the first place (not to mention the essential point of modern fashion, in general!)?

There is no point in steadfastly avoiding the obvious, if the obvious is the most attractive and relevant option.

If their intention was never to reproduce Biba, as it is best remembered, or, at least, as a modernised version of that; why on earth did they bother buying the rights in the first place, I wonder?

 

[liashoes]

^^^Thank you chloehandbags---very informative about Art Nouveau and the link w/Biba and their direction today .

 

[archana]

I like all the full length dresses

 

[Bidwell]

Chloehandbags:

However, as you no doubt know, Art Nouveau was such a huge movement in the late 19th - early 20th Century and its late 1960s and 1970s reincarnation so long-lived and widespread; that I don't think Liberty can even begin to own the entire Art Nouveau territory.

By no means. I see art nouveau prints are rife at Première Vision. This was as you said, the most obvious option. Perhaps because of the prevailing exposure by miu miu, liberty and others they decided to go a different way. With disasterous results.
Pity.
The other missing component is of course, the original dark and brooding mood which balanced the otherwise very girly, retro looks.

 

[disco54]

Not bad - everything looks quite wearable but its got horrible shades of 'high street' about it.

which can be a good thing for struggling brand, lots of the looks are waiting to be copied the hats ,sweaters ,shorts , shoes and those hot maxis. I agree this collection could have been better but its moviing in a positive direction Well Biba was a high street brand to begin with , I think IMO they should return to those roots , with some help from topshop , it will be a far better experience.