Monday, May 24, 2010

I Dream Of Biba

I can actually thank( you'll notice I like to use the word actually alot) my obession with everything Biba for getting me interested in blogging. I've always loved fashion, espeacially styles that came out of the 1970's. For me it's just something about 70's styles that I can't get over no matter what new trends come out the 70's will live forever with me. There is just a mix of sophistication and casualness about 70's style that I adore. I really think women knew how to dress and you also had such iconic designers like Halston, Bob Mackie, just to name a few, it was in essence accessible glamour. I actually found out about Biba about five or six years ago. I was going through a Kevin Aucoin book, and one of his make up looks was Kate Moss done up in the style of a Biba girl. I couldn't take my eyes off the photo and I just had to find out what the Biba girl look was all about. Barbara Hulanicki who created Biba incorporated 1920's glamour with the rock'n roll vibe and pyschadelic styles of the 60's and 70's. All I can say about Biba is that it was very new, very hip and very art deco. If I could time travel I would go to Swinging London ,go to Biba and make Barbara Hulanicki give me a job and become a Biba girl.



The Biba Logo



Kate Moss as a Biba girl, I wish you could see the whole picture.


The Biba look consisted of big eyes , red lips and curly hair very soft very feminine.



 




cute drawings about Biba, The Biba bedroom, and Biba Lounge(shiny)


Barbara Hulanicki
I have no idea when this photo was taken, but she's in her 70's and looks awsome, and although Biba no longer exist, she is still designing, she's done some things for Top Shop and she also does interior decorating.  Barbara was also one of the very first to create makeup for women of color. (she tried, yall got to give her some credit)There is a movie out called Beyond Biba which I'm dying to see, and there are a couple of Coffee table books one Called the Biba Experience and the other I think is called Big Biba, try amazon if you're interested.



Here is a video from youtube by Cosmocorps2000, he has the most interesting fashion videos from the 60's and 70's some pretty awsome stuff here is the one and only he has of Biba.



 

Saturday, May 22, 2010

A Red Balloon and Childhood Memories


Ahhh to be five years old again, just for a day would be alot of fun. One of my first childhood memories was when we lived in SanFranisco. I remember one morning waking up and going outside, the sky was so blue the clouds were so white and the air was so crisp and the sun was shining brightly and all the colors seemed to pop. I looked up and closed shut my eyes tight and said to myself I want to remember this day forever. I was a strange child,(even then I had strange thoughts) my grandmorther called me an old soul and I do think I've had other past lives but I'll talk about that some other time. I never did forget that day and I think about it from time to time I can still see that beautiful day when I close my eyes.


Another one of my favorite childhood memories consist of watching the movie the Red Balloon a virtually silent movie made in 1956 by French filmaker Albert Lamorisse.  Its a story about a lonely boy and the relationship he has with a red balloon that befriends him. They use to always show this film in grade school, at least once a year from 1rst grade to about 3rd grade. I remember sitting mesmorized and being totally enraptured with it. Its the kind of thing that becomes part of the fabric of childhood.





These pictures that I took were mostly inspired by childhood itself, and the movie.  I actually took most of these pictures on the day that I graduated, and first had no idea how I would use them, I just thought it was a nice concept. I actually wore this outfit to the graduation ceremony. I hadnot planned on it, I was actually going to wear the dress and some sheer black stocking and maryjane heels, but the weather turned out to be unusally cold and rainy that I felt it better to cover up.


                                                        

       


    

And I also wanted to thank my friend Nancy who took most of these pictures




Outfit information, The majority of this get up I got from the thrift store.


Dress Goodwill Industries -$ 5.00
Shirt Thrift store -$ 1.99
Hat School Fair -$ 15.00
Shoes Target- $ 24.99
Red Balloon -Dollar Store $1.00
Childhood memories- Priceless