This late 1960s/early 1970s vintage fabric comes from an original Biba garment, and was part of a collection belonging to Carol Jones - a regular customer and huge fan of Biba. We believe the items were unpicked because they no longer fitted her and she was intending to alter them. She also removed the garment labels, so a vintage Biba label is included with every bundle.
Each of the pieces is unique. In some cases tiny pieces of fabric are missing, so it may not be possible to recreate the original item in its entirety. However, these beautiful fabrics can be used to create smaller pieces, like cushions and tote bags with a fascinating story and provenance.
This heavy cotton twill fabric came in several colour combinations. A red suited version appeared in the 2012 exhibition Biba and Beyond: Barbara Hulanicki at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery (see image). We also found a vintage photograph showing two versions of the print – and this fabric may in fact have come from a coat shown on the right hand side of the image, worn on that occasion with a matching hat (please refer to images).
This is a great opportunity to not only invest in a piece of fashion history, but to help recycle the past through contemporary handicraft. 10% of all proceeds from this sale will go to Cancer Research UK in memory of their former owner.
Please wash the fabric carefully by hand in cool water.