Barbara Hulanicki on Desert Island Discs today

I listened to her too. Fascinating programme. I loved her designs in the 60s and had lots of Biba/Hulanicki clothes. I didn't know about the black terry nappies! Bizarre!

I must listen to this. I haunted Biba every Saturday morning till I got married. Still heartbroken about the clothes I threw out, I never thought people would still be talking about them nearly 50 years later.

I listened too. The shop's roof garden with pink flamigos sounded rather marvellous. Did you ever see it Deedaa?

The gardens are still there, Penguin
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kensington_Roof_Gardens
I lived a relatively sheltered life in my youth, and never owned a Biba dress or even went to London till 1976
But I did see the Roof Gardens after reading about them some time in the 90s and they were magical.

Thank you jane I had never heard of the gardens before yesterday. And from the street you would have no idea they were there.
A beautiful place to spend your lunch break if you are working in the building.

I went up there once with my mother. She hated the enormous papier mache flowers they had put up there, but I thought it was cool
Sadly, the flamingos had gone.

Oh what a shame about the flamingos although perhaps not an ideal home for them.

Thank you for prompting me to listen to Barbara today on iPlayer. Such a nice lady, fascinating life story and great music. I was too young to really enjoy Biba but I do remember daring to go into a local store that sold her makeup and came out with a mustard yellow eyeshadow when I was 14! I felt very daring but doubt I ever wore it but owning it made me feel very grown up!

mollie
I had a pink lace mini-dress (not Biba though) that I loved but only wore once or twice.
The idea of saving things 'for best' was ingrained into me.
Looking back it seems such a waste, but as you say there was pleasure from just owning it.

I've still got the stunning silver lace dress I bought in Biba in 1969. It is a long dress with a low neck and long, sweeping medieval style sleeves. I wore it once, to a car club dance with my fiance. He was appalled because it wasn't the sort of thing the girls at the club wore, but I didn't care
I did lend it to a friend once - when it became obvious that we were never going to the sort of place where I could wear it!

Deedaa I had something similar - it was a trouser suit in silver lace with the same sleeves. The trousers were bell bottomed and looking back, it wouldn't have looked out of place in an Austin Powers film! I loved it, though!

Not that you would ever want to part with your dress Deedaa but I can imagine many a young fashionista would be thrilled to own a vintage Biba.