Biba’s getting bigger

1960s, anello and davide, art nouveau, barbara hulanicki, Barbara Hulanicki, biba, chelsea cobbler, Deco Inspired, Inspirational Images, interior design, interiors, James Fox, kensington high street, Liz Smith, Mensday, menswear, observer magazine, Steve Hiett, steven hiett
Lampshade, 12gn. Small satin cushions, 16s. 11d. each; large, 27s. 11d. Tablecloth, 70in. diameter, 5gn. Ostrich feathers, 18s. each. Satin material, 36in. wide, 9s. 11d. a yd.; thick felt, 54in. wide, 53s. 6d. a yd ; thin felt, 70-72 in. wide, 27s. 6d. a yd. Fringing : plain cotton, 5s. 6d. a yd ; in Biba colours, 8s. 9d. a yd. Glass goblets, 21s. 6d. each. Steak knife, steak fork, dessert knife, 33s. 6d. each; soup spoon, dessert spoon, 37s. 6d. each; bread knife, £2 10s.; carving set, 1Ogn. Soup cup, 14s. 6d. ; egg cup, 3s. 9d.; 7-inch plate, 4s. 9d.; 81-inch plate, 7s. 6d.; 10-inch plate, 9s. 6d. Satin night-dress, £3 15s. 6d. Mock ivory bead necklace, 34s.; rings, 1s. 3d. each.

Now there’s hardware and haberdashery, furnishings and fabrics, cosmetics and mens-wear, all carrying the Biba label. Their brave transition from dolly boutique to department store was made last week when Biba opened in Kensington High Street. Although a baby store compared with neighbouring Barker’s, Biba does boast marble floors, a carved gallery from the old St Paul’s school, and a commissionaire at the huge glass doors.

Faithful customers can still find among the familiar palm fronds clothes to wear themselves or put on their children, but everything is on a much bigger scale. Colour-matched underwear and tights are on sale in a special conservatory-style department, and there’s a complete range of Biba makeup and cosmetics, and many more accessories.

But what’s really new, are the clothes for men, and the things for the house.

There’s nothing simple or austere about a Biba home life. The girl whose idea of some-thing comfortable to wear around the house is a slinky satin dress chooses a plush back-ground and hardware that’s softly elegant. Cutlery is rich-looking in gilt and mother of pearl, or silver and ebony. China is white and gold, glasses are chunky goblets. Specially printed wallpapers and furnishing fabrics, plain satins, felts, braids and trimmings, have carefully matched emulsion paints, lamp-shades and cushions, all in a range of 15 colours. Biba are selling the raw materials so that you can make what you want of them. The clue to their own style is Art Nouveau, but the way you choose to use them will be your own.

Biba men’s clothes are worn in these pictures by James Fox, who can currently be seen in ‘Isadora’ and whose new film, ‘Performance’, in which he co-stars with Mick Jagger, comes out next month.

Mr Fox is long and slender and can have little problem kitting himself out elegantly, but the clothes he wears here, plus others by Biba in velvets and tweeds, all come in a size range bigger than most. So fatter men can have fun with clothes too, and at a reasonable price.

By Liz Smith.

Photographed by Steve Hiett.

Scanned from The Observer Magazine, 21st September 1969.

Biba 3 is definitely the Biba I’m most captivated by, I think possibly because it was edged out so quickly by the much bigger (and more Deco) Big Biba and yet was, I think, the perfect encapsulation of the aesthetic and the first time the ‘department store’ ideal was manifested. Basically, I wish there were more photos so I do try and scan them when I find them! It’s also nice to see the menswear getting a bit of attention for once.

Pure wool herringbene tweed trousers cut to curve over the foot 6gn.; matching buttoned jerkin, £5 10s. Pure silk shirt and tie, 6gn. Art Nouveau statue, £7 10s.; necklace, 34s.; veiling, 2s. a yd. Marbled patent shoes, 12gn., from the Chelsea Cobbler, 33 Sackville Street, W1. Vanilla coloured Imperial Russian cigarettes by Sobranie, 11s. 3d. for 25. Carved ivory cigar holder, £21 ; ivory chess men, part of a set, £80; both from W. Barrett, 9 Old Bond Street, W1.
White worsted wool jacket with safari pockets and belt, 15gn.; matching trousers shaped over the foot, 8gn. Brown and cream printed rayon shirt, 5gn.; matching tie, 39s. 6d. Co-respondent shoes, £5 15s. from Anello & Davide, 30 Drury Lane, London, WC2. Teacup, 5s. 6d.; saucer, 3s. 3d.,2) All Biba prices here are approximate.

Diary of a Somebody

1970s, Browns, David Hockney, deborah and clare, harpers and queen, John Michael, Lakis, Mensday, menswear, mr fish, norman eales, Sheridan Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood
Lord Dufferin wears a linen cream suit by Walter Albini; £120, Browns, 25 South Molton St, W1. Orange crepe de chine shirt; £20, also from Browns. Brown silk ribbed tie; £5.95, John Michael, 62 Brompton Rd, SW3.

Sheridan Hamilton-Temple-Blackwood, thirty-five-year-old Marquis of Dufferin and Ava, is a film producer, art collector, sportsman (`I’m practically always on the tennis court or something’), and financial consultant to an American investment fund. Supremely relaxed and the possessor of a wonderful throwaway wit, Lord Dufferin readily admits to being interested in clothes . . . ‘I can’t pretend I spend hours thinking about what I’m going to wear, but I do give it some thought. All men dress for effect. It’s very much like keeping a diary : you pretend the diary’s for yourself, but deep down you hope someone is going to read it some day.

`I find shirts and ties constricting and I seldom wear them unless I’m going to a business meeting. My favourite clothes for day and evening, if I’m going to a party where one can wear what one likes, are open-neck shirts, pullovers — I have about twenty-five — and sports jackets on top.’

He prefers his clothes close-fitting — ‘loose fit does nothing for one’s shape’. The fabrics he’s keenest on are corduroys, denim, velvet and lightweight wool — all the year round. Colour plays the most important part in his ward-robe. ‘I don’t usually wear checks or that sort of thing; I like solid colours in simple contrast —combinations like red, white and black — or different shades of the same colour. I like white very much for summer, I dislike yellow and am not really wild about green.’ Lord Dufferin sees himself as an impulse buyer with a touch of extravagance, but his formula sounds like a good one for guarding against mistakes.

`I feel that if something is right and you really like it and know you’re going to wear it a lot, then you should buy it. But if there’s any doubt at all, forget about it.’ He remains loyal to certain shops. Browns, which ‘saves one the trouble of having to shop abroad’, is his great source for trousers, sports jackets and pullovers, though he occasionally finds some he likes at the Village Gate shops. At John Michael he buys ready-to-wear suits and shoes.

What he refers to as his ‘ordered city suits’ come from Wealeson & Legate. His ties (`the few I buy’) and other accessories come from Harvie & Hudson. All of his shirts he buys ready made up. His conservative ones come from Harvie & Hudson; his others from Deborah & Clare — buy tons of shirts from them. I like their Swiss cottons and their silk shirts which I wear a lot in the evenings and for the summer.

`I honestly think that most people’s taste, including my own, is strongly suspect, so I stick to very straightforward clothes. They should make their effect effortlessly : you should be aware that someone’s wearing something nice without actually thinking about it.

Interview by Lendal Scott-Ellis.

It has been a while since I did a ‘Mensday’ post, but I thought the wonderfully elegant Marquess was very worthy of one. He very sadly died in 1988 of an AIDS related illness but his brief life left a legacy of supporting and promoting both modern art and film.

Photographed by Norman Eales.

Scanned from Harpers and Queen, April 1974.

Black satin tunic top embroidered with brocade butterflies; £28.50, to order from Deborah & Clare, 29 Beauchamp Place, SW3.
Black cotton shirt printed with leaves; £9, Lakis, 48 South Audley St, W1. White cable knit cashmere sweater; £68.20, Mr Fish, 100 Mount St, W1.

Get in the backseat baby…

1970s, Cerruti, harpers and queen, janice wainwright, Mensday, menswear, Rolls Royce, Vintage Adverts, Washington Tremlett
Clothes by Washington Tremlett. Tie by Cerruti. Janice Wainwright skirt and tabard. Rolls Royce from Jack Barclay Ltd of Berkeley Square.

Scanned from Harpers and Queen, December 1976.

A Peek at the Boutique: Howie

1970s, Boutiques, british boutique movement, harpers and queen, Howie, Howie Diffusion, Mensday, menswear, Mrs Howie, Steve Campbell

‘Casual clothes for men.’ The phrase used to mean T-shirts and jeans. But since Paul Howie opened his shop at 352 Fulham Road, SW10, the phrase has taken on a new meaning: ‘soft, comfy, easy-to-wear looks; clothes that you can just put on and look good in without trying’. That says it all. Nearly all the clothes are exclusive to Howie, but Paul (in the picture) wears a light brown tie-belted raincoat by Deardon & Fay; £68.

Photographed by Steve Campbell.

Scanned from Harpers and Queen, November 1974.

It’s what a man wears underneath that counts

1970s, interior design, interiors, Lyle and Scott, Mensday, menswear, telegraph magazine, The Sunday Telegraph Magazine, underwear, Vintage Adverts

One in my now very, very sporadic ‘Mensday’ series. This one doubles up as an interiors post as well, with Mr Freedom-influenced stars and stripes bedding (it might take you a while to focus properly).

Scanned from The Telegraph Magazine, March 17th 1972.

Art Can Be a Wearing Business

1970s, Alain Demange, allen jones, Blades, Browns, Carlton Payne, christa peters, David Hockney, Elizabeth Frink, Erica Crome, Erte, Jasper, Man-Shih Yang, Mensday, menswear, Murray Salem, New Man, Patrick Hughes, ritva, Simpson of Piccadilly, Vogue
Left To Right: Patrick Hughes’ numerical applique worn by Man-Shih Yang, 24, classical composer from Hong Kong. David Hockney’s applique, worn by Alain Demange, 21, French fashion designer. Elizabeth Frink’s bird applique, worn by Carlton Payne, 30, Jamaican jewellery and fashion designer. Allen Jones’ black leg applique, worn by Murray Salem, 21, Actor From Cleveland, Ohio. All appliques on Ritva sweaters, £40 each, at Blades. Velvet jeans, first three, New Man, £12, Browns: Right, by Jupiter, £10.50, Pant House.

A brilliant line-up of the now legendary Ritva jumpers, designed by four of the most well-known British artists of the time, and a series of shirts by Jasper with Erté prints. Menswear? Pah! I’ll take them all please!

Fashion by Erica Crome.

Photographed by Christa Peters.

Scanned from Vogue, December 1971.

Prints designed by Erte on pure slubbed silk shirts, Left to Right: Adam and Eve shirt worn by Murray Salem, in white and gold with red and green on midnight blue. Night and Day shirts: the frontview, Day, worn by Carlton Payne, in off white with golden yellow and brown sunflower, midnight blue collar and sleeve. Backview, Night, worn by Alain Demange, in midnight blue with swirls of white and bright blue stars and bats, orange, maroon and yellow owls. Black shirt With big cats in red with yellow eyes on the front and back, worn by Man-Shih Yang. Shirts by Jasper, £27, From Trend at Simpson. Velvet jeans, £12, at Browns.

Landscape in Leather

1960s, Adrian George, elton john, Gervase, Jim O'Connor, Julian Cottrell, Mensday, menswear, mr freedom, ossie clark, patrick procktor, Tommy Roberts, Vogue
Simply sky, cloud, tree and grass sewn on the back of a brief bright jacket, pilot shape, all leather, buttoned both sides, worn with high-waisted trousers, sky blue silk shirt.

The RCA’s School of Fashion is a great forcing ground for young designers. This year’s show proved the point again, with looks both space-age and romantic, the best in fashion for men… the man in the landscape is Gervase, pop singer with new release, “Pepper Grinder”. And the man responsible for the leather landscape, Jim O’Connor, made a gold lurex evening suit that could outshine Elvis Presley; a memorable droopy satin dressing gown and pyjamas silk-screened in rainbow colours with the words “there will never be another you”.

I would walk over hot coals for that jacket. Jim O’Connor would go on to design for Tommy Roberts’s Mr Freedom boutique and created the legendary winged boots (as worn by Elton John) amongst many other iconic designs.

There’s not a huge amount out there about Gervase Griffiths, what there is mainly relates to his time with Patrick Procktor and those creative circles (see here where there is also a connection to Ossie Clark), but here’s a link to the aforementioned Pepper Grinder which is all the baroque psychedelic whimsy you would expect from 1968.

Photographed by Julian Cottrell-Adrian George.

Scanned from Vogue, September 1968.

Guy Day: Colin Firth, 1984

1980s, Colin Firth, Demob, Dexter Wong, Hamish Bowles, Hyper Hyper, katharine hamnett, Mensday, menswear, Robert Erdman, The Face

Crushed white silk shirt Katharine Hamnett. Silk toga as flag Katharine Hamnett. Navy herringbone trousers at Demob. Ghillie shoes at Scotch House

Crushed white silk shirt Katharine Hamnett. Silk toga as flag Katharine Hamnett. Navy herringbone trousers at Demob. Ghillie shoes at Scotch House

A young Colin Firth in a white shirt? You’re welcome…

Styled by Hamish Bowles. Photographed by Robert Erdman.

Scanned by Miss Peelpants from The Face, October 1984

Black wool coat by Body Map. Red cotton jersey shirt by Tim Hall at Demob. Black fur pile shapka by Dexter Wong at Post, Hyper Hyper. Badges from Covent Garden and Berwick Street Markets.

Black wool coat by Body Map. Red cotton jersey shirt by Tim Hall at Demob. Black fur pile shapka by Dexter Wong at Post, Hyper Hyper. Badges from Covent Garden and Berwick Street Markets.

Guy Day: Bring your man up to date

1970s, british boutique movement, hard rock cafe, leonard, Marc Leonard, Mensday, menswear, missoni, mr freedom, sonia rykiel, stirling cooper, Tommy Roberts, vanity fair

Look at him. God's gift to women.

“Look at him. God’s gift to women.

But before you start chucking him back, remember the average British male is all you’ve got to work on. So get working on him. Tell him you think his barber stinks. Say you’ll scream if he turns up in that seedy safari jacket, with those baggy drainpipes, and bunion-hugging shoes again. Meantime, wear this pale blue hooded coat £45, matching poloneck with red chevron front £21, and matching trousers £28. All by Sonia Rykiel at Browns.”

This is a quite-frankly-amazing little photo story from Vanity Fair, which sees our Cinderfella hero being taken from baggy drainpipes to novelty-print-shirted Hard Rock Cafe God, via the Kensington Church Street branch of Mr Freedom and Leonard of Mayfair.

Photographed by Marc Leonard. Scanned by Miss Peelpants from Vanity Fair, January 1972

Once he's started growing his hair,

“Once he’s started growing his hair,

…swap the chat for action. Shove him into Mr. Freedom, 2- Kensington Church Street, W8. Strip off his drainpipes and fit him into a pair of red velvet jeans, £7.75. Rip off his jacket and zip him into a red-and-white satin top, £7.95. (It’s got FAR OUT splashed over the shoulders to make sure he gets the message). And while you’re there, buy yourself some pale blue satin trousers, £5.25, a furry acrylic leopard-skin blouse, £9.95, and a black pom-pom beret, £4.”

This is when the sow's ear really turns into a silk purse.

“This is when the sow’s ear really turns into a silk purse.

He’s at Leonard, 6 Upper Grosvenor Street, W1 (even if you had to frog march him there), being tactfully handled by Peter. Wash, cut and blow-dry costs £3.75, beard 5-p. extra – not much when you consider it’s made a mean-moody-magnificent out of that surly yobo of yours.”

Doesn't he look lovely?

“Doesn’t he look lovely?

Sitting in the Hard Rock Cafe in his grey wool barathea Stirling Cooper suit, £28.00 with a waistcoat, and his tiny-man-patterned shirt, £4.90. Both from Way-In, Hans Crescent, SW1. You’re in your Missoni four-piece (orangey battledress top, matching trousers, orange silky blouse and toning striped tank top). £75 from Browns. Thinking what a perfect couple you make. Except that now he’s thinking: ‘Blimey mate, you could do a lot better than her if you tried.'”

Inspirational Editorials: Mode a Venise

1970s, Inspirational Images, italy, Lui, Mensday, menswear, ossie clark, Venice, Vintage Editorials

Lui: Jacket by Harry Lans from Printemps Brummell. Shirt and tie by Francesco Smalto. Trousers by Brummell. Elle: Dress by Ossie Clark. Silver fox fur by Robert Beaulieu.

Lui: Jacket by Harry Lans. Shirt and tie by Francesco Smalto. Trousers by Brummell. Elle: Dress by Ossie Clark. Silver fox fur by Robert Beaulieu.

“Pour ceux que le triste smoking ennuie, << Lui >> propose une mode du soir facile à porter. Certains vont mourir à Venise, << Lui >> a décidé pour un soir d’y vivre en beauté.”

Un éditorial parfait, from Lui, January 1972. Photographer sadly uncredited.

Lui: Jacket, shirt, tie and trousers by Elysees Soieries. Patent black boots by Charles Jourdan. Elle: Panne velvet outfit (tunic, trousers and scarf) by Tan Giudicelli. White fox fur by Robert Beaulieu.

Lui: Jacket, shirt, tie and trousers by Elysees Soieries. Patent black boots by Charles Jourdan. Elle: Panne velvet outfit (tunic, trousers and scarf) by Tan Giudicelli. White fox fur by Robert Beaulieu.

Lui: Sweater by Francesco Smalto. Shirt by Elysees Soieries. Satin neck tie by Elysees Soieries. Elle: Dress by Vesscheringe Brard. White fox fur by Robert Beaulieu.

Lui: Sweater by Francesco Smalto. Shirt by Elysees Soieries. Satin neck tie by Elysees Soieries. Elle: Dress by Vesscheringe Brard. White fox fur by Robert Beaulieu.

Lui: Outfit by Renoma. Elle: Dress and midnight blue fox fur by Tan Giudicelli.

Lui: Outfit by Renoma. Elle: Dress and midnight blue fox fur by Tan Giudicelli.