The Hulanicki Archive

The Hulanicki Archive showcases the work of the designer Barbara Hulanicki, from her career as a fashion illustrator in London to her work across the design field in America today.

Hulanicki's career in fashion began while she was still a teenager, covering the Paris and London couture shows as an illustrator for publications such as Vogue, Harper's Bazaar and Women's Wear Daily. As one of the most successful fashion illustrators of the period Hulanicki had money to spend on clothes, but nowhere to spend it. The market for youthful, well-designed, affordable fashion did not exist. In response Hulanicki established the now legendary fashion label Biba. 

From its first tiny boutique in 1964 to the seven-storey department store in 1973 Biba dominated fashion in the 1960s and 1970s. Everyone shopped there with regular visitors including Twiggy, The Rolling Stones, Cher, The Beatles, David Bowie, Marianne Faithful, and Freddie Mercury. 

Biba was truly a phenomenon, and Hulanicki's influence on fashion is hard to overestimate. She brought fashion into the lives of many millions of women and men for the first, and changed the landscape of the high-street fashion forever as other retailers followed in her footsteps. With her innovative approach to shop interiors and products she revolutionised the retailing of fashion and created shopping as an experience.

Biba closed its doors in 1975 after issues arose with Hulanicki's business partners, and the following year she relocated to South America where she launched her eponymous fashion label, Barbara Hulanicki. By the 1980s a number of Barbara Hulanicki stores open in London selling fashion and cosmetics.

A permanent move to America saw Hulancki working across a myriad of disciplines in the 1990s including architecture, interiors, product design and fashion. Her work on regenerating the art-deco hotels in Miami was met with huge critical acclaim and is today widely credited as the spark which brought the city back to life. 

Hulanicki's life in design was recognised in 2012 when she was awarded an OBE for her services to fashion. She continues to live and work in America today.