Back to Biba Home Page / Back to Barbara's Page / Back to Home Page
Congratulations Barbara Hulanicki
I was thrilled when I realised that Barbara had been honoured with the OBE (Order of the British Empire - for more information on the order please visit the 'The Monarchy Today' website) for a host of reasons - first and foremost she is Polish (even if she does use the masculine form of her maiden surname), she founded 'Biba' which has influenced me since about 1969 and she has let me share my various homes since that time with fabulous memorabilia and clothing! (See more in 'My Biba').
I have compiled a lot of the information available on the web with a view to reproducing some of the better articles which will all be credited to their originators.
I created an announcement on my home page area as a feature. I was a little disappointed to find that the article I had discovered and linked to her Facebook wall was removed either by her admin or herself - it actually carried this photograph which I think is more iconic than her earlier work! I hope one day she stumbles on this web-site and realises the pleasure I have had in producing it as an homage to her talents, my memories and introducing her to a new generation comprising both genders. It still astonishes me how many people I know had hitherto not known of this 1970s phenomenon! They do now.
It was a real thrill to find these very intimate images of Barbara receiving and wearing her honour. Many thanks to george.com.
We love Barbara Hulanicki OBE!
Posted by George on 14th February 2012
"Congratulations to iconic British designer Barbara Hulanicki who has become an OBE for her contribution to the fashion industry.
The images show Barbara being presented with the honour by HRH The Prince of Wales and displaying the honour.
She collected her award from the Prince of Wales at Buckingham Palace on Valentine’s Day and said it was “an amazing day”. Barbara has championed affordable fashion from setting up her own Biba label in the 1960s to creating her Barbara Hulanicki collections for George and we’re proud to be working so closely with her."
From the Huffington Post UK - 31st December 2011
New Year Honours List 2012:
Helena Bonham Carter, Lorraine Kelly, Alex Crawford And Barbara Hulanicki Honoured
Photograph courtesy of the Press Association
Polish-born Barbara Hulanicki, who started clothing store Biba, is made OBE for services to fashion. The 75-year-old began her career in the early 1960′s working as a freelance fashion illustrator. Hulanicki launched Biba in 1964 with her husband, but it was closed in 1974.
She acts as a consultant to a number fashion and home ware retailers, with her most recent collaboration being with George at Asda.
From the Catwalk Queen
Barbara Hulanicki and Helena Bonham Carter in 2012 New Year Honours list
Every year a handful of fashion industry types make Queen Elizabeth II's New Years Honours List. This year is no different.
Barbara Hulanicki was named an OBE, or Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the fashion industry. Hulanicki founded Sixties label Biba with husband, Stephen Fitz-Simon. She has since gone on to design collections for Topshop, Habitat and George at Asda. "I'm just absolutely thrilled. It's thrilling for a Polish person to get an award like that from the Queen," she said. "And half of it does belong to my husband of course, because it's for Biba."
From the Daily Telegraph - By Olivia Bergin - 31st December 2011
Biba founder and Lulu Kennedy make New Year’s Honours List 2012 a fashionable one
Barbara Hulanicki, whose iconic Biba store in Kensington contributed to the London landscape of the Swinging Sixties, has been made OBE for services to fashion. The Polish-born fashion designer has recently collaborated with ASDA supermarket's clothing range George, and enjoyed sell-out success with a collection created for Topshop in 2009.
From Elle - By Rebecca Willa Davis - 3rd January 2012
The Queen Blesses Fashion
Just because the Duchess of Cambridge topped a few of 2011’s best dressed lists doesn’t mean that she’s the only one in the royal family who knows her fashion. Take her grandmother-in-law, Queen Elizabeth, who just named a handful of designers in her annual News Year’s honours.
Biba founder Barbara Hulanicki was named an OBE (that would be Officer of the Order of the British Empire). “I’m just absolutely thrilled. It’s thrilling for a Polish person to get an award like that from the Queen,” she told WWD of the award.
From WWD - 30th December 2011
Queen Elizabeth’s New Year Honours List Announced
BRITAIN’S HONOR ROLL: A clutch of figures in the British fashion industry got the nod in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year Honours list for 2011.
Barbara Hulanicki, the founder of the Sixties retail emporium Biba, who has since designed collections for Topshop, Habitat and George at Asda, was named an OBE, or Officer of the Order of the British Empire, for services to the fashion industry. “I’m just absolutely thrilled. It’s thrilling for a Polish person to get an award like that from the Queen,” said the Polish-born, England-raised designer over the telephone from her home in Miami. “And half of it does belong to my husband of course, because it’s for Biba.” Hulanicki founded Biba together with her late husband Stephen Fitz-Simon.
And who better to have the last word than that 'doyenne' of the Fashion World - 'Vogue'
Hulanicki Highlight
By Jessica Bumpus - 9th January 2012
As the legendary founder of Biba, Barbara Hulanicki's contribution to the world of fashion is undeniable, but even for her, receiving an OBE as part of the Queen's New Year's Honours list was unexpected - and brought with it a renewed recognition.
"This was a complete surprise. I have had such incredible responses from Poland from people unknown to me. They are so proud of my Polish origins.
This recognition equally belongs to Fitz, my partner, and of course the Sixties and Seventies generation who supported us," she told us.
In 2010, Hulanicki collaborated on a clothing range with high street label George, worked with Coccinelle on a line of bags in 2009 and created a capsule collection for Topshop in the same year.
Additionally, throughout her career, she has been a fashion illustrator and photographer, designed costumes for stage and screen and worked in interior design.
Image of Barbara Hulanicki as it appears in the Vogue article
Page refreshed : 28th September 2016