How reassuring to know that in a world that’s all change, the 87-year-old Barbara Hulanicki is still her old subversive, stylish self and that Biba, the iconic fashion emporium and temple to youth culture she founded in 1964, has become a state of mind.
Hulanicki arrives at a London signing and reception for her latest book clad entirely in black, her go-to shade. She’s wearing a Rick Owens leather jacket with tough, pointy shoulders, a Miu Miu crossbody bag, and her fingers are covered in chunky wooden rings she bought online, and then painted herself with black nail polish.
All that black frames her suntanned face (she lives and works in Miami), honey-colored bob, and bags that dangle over big, round sunglasses. Just like Patsy from “Absolutely Fabulous,” she’s still 1960s skinny from all the post-War rationing — and proud of it.
The Queen of Thin
In the Biba days, she was the queen of thin. The clothing Hulanicki designed for the store had such tight sleeves and high armholes that girls wearing them “couldn’t even open a window,” says Martin Pel, who cowrote
Follow WWD on Twitter or become a fan on Facebook.