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Art & Design Studies FASHION
HIGHER STILL RESOURCE
/ TEXTILE DESIGN
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WHEN BILL GIBB died in 1988 the fashion industry lost one of
its most adventurous and exciting designers. Bill Gibb was a
genuine original; a man who was not afraid to go his own way.
Although he was caught up in the world of his contemporaries,
Bill’s designs were always the unexpected, a style which changed from
collection to collection, always fresh and strong. One of his greatest
achievements was to blend fabrics and colour in a flamboyant and
dramatic way, mixing pattern on pattern, check on floral, texture on
texture, revolutionising the way designers treated cloth. His evening
wear was an extravagant theatrical profusion of
luxurious and sensuous fabrics, a fantasy of sparkle
and shimmer.
N 1943 BILL GIBB was born near
New Pitsligo, Fraserburgh, a
small farming community in the
North Fast of Scotland, where his
father owned a dairy farm. Although
most of his early life was spent on a
farm, it was obvious at a fairly early
age that his interests lay in other
directions. He loved to sketch and
draw, a talent encouraged by his
grandmother, who herself painted
landscapes. It was, however, while
studying at Fraserburgh Academy
that his Art teacher realized that
here was no ordinary talent, and
persuaded him to go to St. Martins
School of Art in London. His
sketchbooks from this period show a
developing obsession with costume
and historical dress.
All his clothes were designed to make women look
and feel good. Elizabeth Taylor wore one of his designs
back to front in order to show off better her cleavage!
Twiggy dressed in his gorgeous designs while other
stars like Bianca Jagger had wardrobes bursting with
his clothes. The devoted clients who still have their “Bill
Gibbs” enthuse at length on their infinite wearability and
timeless quality. Bill Gibb made it possible to break free
from the mould of wearing the correct colour, the correct
hemline, the correct cut; he simply made clothes that
flattered and could be worn again and again.
The 1970s was undoubtedly Bill Gibb’s decade. It
began dramatically when he was awarded “Designer of the
Year” by “Vogue” magazine, and for the next ten years he
continued to surprise and delight as each new collection
took up a new theme. Thirty years on it seems a fitting
time to review his contribution to fashion.
Photograph of Bill Gibb by kind permission of the Press & Journal
for their stores. There followed a
three month study and research tour
to America with the painter Kaffe
Fassett. A friendship forged between
two creative talents, an electric
combination which later produced
some of the most startling designs.
He had meanwhile left the Royal
College, failing to finish the
scholarship, to open a boutique in
Kensington, “Alice Paul”, with three
Series of drawings for Summer Collection 1975
The drawings are meticulous detailed
descriptions of current fashion,
executed in ink and colour wash.
So, in 1962 he left the quiet
windswept countryside for the
noise, smoke and bustle of London,
the centre of the Swinging Sixties,
the most dramatic period of social
change since the Second World War.
Adapting to city life was exciting
but challenging, and throughout
the rest of his life he returned home
regularly to walk the fields and the
beaches, relaxing and unwinding.
He excelled at the design aspects
of the course, but found making
up the garments was fraught with
difficulties, to such an extent that
he actually considered giving up. His
parents relate how they travelled
south from Scotland to meet Muriel
Pemberton, the Dean, to discuss Bill’s
future. She was confident that given
perseverance with the construction
process, Bill would complete the
course. Her character judgement
proved accurate, and ensured the
future of one of British fashion’s
most innovative designers.
Drawing shows pleating
& smocking which creates
fullness & swing of finished
dress.
Bill Gibb graduated
first in his year and was
awarded a scholarship
to the Royal College of
Art. His portfolio and
sketchbooks show his
infatuation with historic
dress. His research
was careful, providing
meticulous drawings
and notes for Byzantine
and Renaissance clothes,
themes he was later
to take up and develop
in some of his most
successful collections.
The coloured studies
demonstrate his obvious
love of colour and
texture.
A year later, in 1967, he was one
of six designers to take part in
the Yardley “London Look” award
in New York. Photographs of the
time show a rather shy, slightly
awkward young man, but Bendell
recognised his underlying talent and
commissioned the entire collection
friends. Bill provided the designs
whilst the others arranged the
marketing and making. Nives Losani
responded to an advert for someone
to help make up the garments, and
Bill found the pattern cutter who
stayed with him throughout the rest
of his career. Her skill and expertise
lay in translating Bill’s ideas from
paper to fabric.
HIGHER STILL RESOURCE
LEFT:
Detail of knitwear
from working
drawing.
(below)
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Art & Design Studies FASHION
departure from the pared down
mini skirts of the I960s to giant,
soft, flowing styles influenced
by Renaissance shapes of high
waistlines and tight narrow bodices.
/ TEXTILE DESIGN
federation members. It was at a
reception to celebrate this collection
that he met Kate Franklin who was
to become his business partner and
mentor for the rest of the decade.
LEFT:
Chestnut leather screenprinted
with silver chrysanthemums, a
process revolutionary for the time.
The ‘petal’ hemline was a key
feature of the 1971 collection.
In 1971 he designed the dress
LEFT:
Working drawing
for the above from
1975 with swatch
of chunky cotton
knit. When put
into production
the knitwear was
made in manmade
fibres for financial
reasons.
www.aberdeencity.gov.uk
Produced by
Aberdeen City Council Education
Department Sevices to Schools & Centres
in conjunction with
Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums
Photographs copyright
Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums
Text by Christine Rew - Keeper (Applied Art)
Arts & Recreation Department
BELOW:
Charcoal grey wool jacket
from a fitted suit, trimmed
in reptile skin. Note the
shape of the salamanders
incorporated into the collar.
1971/72
“Gypsy” dress 1969.
An early dress in a
romantic style showing
a combination of
fabrics which made
him famous. Shows a
strong hippie influence
The designs at this time were not
particularly radical but exhibit a
young bright look: mini skirts, short
swing back jackets with marvellous
detailed trimmings and fastenings
and long ankle-length coats.
Twiggy wore to the premiere of “The
Boyfriend”, a dress which epitomised
his style of combining different
patterned fabrics. The impact of
this one dress was tremendous,
receiving widespread coverage in the
newspaper fashion columns.
Bill continued to experiment with his
theme of mixing tartans and plaids
with brightly patterned knitwear
and this collection won him the
“Designer of the Year” award from
“Vogue” in 1970. In November of
the same year the “Bill Gibb Room”
was opened at Harrods in response
to his increasing popularity. The
designs had their roots in the hippy
movement, a stunning romanticised
In the same year he was invited
by the Federation of Embroidery
Institute at Voralberg in Austria
to design a collection which was
to represent the work of the 21
From the Autumn/Winter collection using Scottish
tartans & tweeds. This collection won Bill Gibb
Vogue’s “Designer of the Year” 1970
Together they
formed “Bill Gibb Ltd”, launching his first solo collection in
1972. This collection marked a departure from his other
work, a tactic he was to employ time and time again; Bill’s
collections were always full of surprises.
This time he produced fantasy, almost bizarre, creations
based on animal and natural themes. Surprising
combinations predominated; dresses and suits trimmed with
animal skin and feathers, soft supple leathers stamped
with flowers and insects, and clinging, brilliantly coloured,
vampish dresses for evening. The name of Bill Gibb was now
firmly established.
HIGHER STILL RESOURCE
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Art & Design Studies FASHION
/ TEXTILE DESIGN
designs and the small hand
worked swatches by Kaffe.
Economically, though, they
had to produce on power
machines the garments to
meet the escalating demands.
The complex patterns were
thought at first to be too
difficult to transfer, and it
took several attempts to find
a manufacturer bold enough
to take on the work. Finally
they came across Harry
Green of Gould’s in Leicester,
who laughed when he saw
the samples, but rose to the
challenge.
delicate shades of caramel, cream,
duck egg blue with flecks of gold
lurex providing texture and added
interest. They were taken up by
Harrods, and proved to be an instant
success.
Bill Gibb’s success with knitwear lay
in his audacious patterns and colour
combinations – such as mustard,
lime green, navy and purple – and
the easy-to-wear designs. These
shapes were attractive to women of
all age groups.
Several years later these knits were
still being worn by Bill’s dedicated
followers, and remain eminently
contemporary. As Ann Chubb told
Daily Telegraph readers in 1981 “only
someone who has actually owned a
Bill Gibb knit can appreciate the gap
it fills in a wardrobe”.
THE ORIGINAL thinking behind
Bill Gibb’s collections stunned the
BILL GIBB’S knitwear designs were
his most important contribution to
British fashion. When first shown
they created an enormous stir and
almost overnight the plain British
sweater was transformed into
a highly original garment with
intricate patterns and exciting
combinations of colour.
ABOVE
Autumn/Winter Collection 1977
Jersey dress - draping fabrics for evening
wear
ABOVE RIGHT
Detail including bees wings
In the early days the knitwear
was hand machined by Mildred
Boulton, who produced
superb interpretations of Bill’s
LEFT:
Autumn/winter
collection 1974.
Handknitted top
and cardigan
jacket with gold
pleated skirt and
beaded beeswing
strap
ABOVE:
Detail showing
gold bee pattern
and beaded wing
strap.
Mildred Boulton continued to knit
one off garments, including the
magnificent black and gold jackets
with complex Byzantine inspired
patterns for the 1976/77 Winter
Collection.
Later, in the 1980s Bill combined
with Annette Carol, a Leicester
based knitwear company, to
produce his complicated jacquard
patterns in Courtelle.
The colour palette was soft
RIGHT:
Sari fabric used with wrong
side to front. Bill liked the gold
metallic sheen of the reverse.
HIGHER STILL RESOURCE
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Art & Design Studies FASHION
pentel or felt tip pen, simply highlighting details such
as hair, trimmings or shoes. This allowed the fabrics to
dictate the colours. Working on a collection engaged
him completely, drawing five days a week at work and
throughout the weekend. Yet the most remarkable aspect
of his work is the attention to detail and skilled technique
of drawing.
ABOVE:
Detail of buddhas used in knitwear
LEFT:
Moon & Buddha Collection 1975 with knitwear
patterns designed by Kaffe Fassett.
/ TEXTILE DESIGN
become a financial success.
Tragically when he died after a
long illness in 1988, although
he had been in the business
for over twenty years, he had
little in terms of material
things. His business collapsed
on several occasions, leaving
him bewildered, sad and
disappointed. In the 1980s
he was reduced to producing
small capsule collections,
licensing and endorsing his
name to garments, promotions
and designing for his devoted
private clients. Bill was very
much a creative personality,
with little care for the financial
and business side of his work.
Making money was not really
important to him; he simply
needed enough to travel and
eat well. Designing clothes and
seeing them worn on elegant
women gave him the greatest
pleasure.
THE BEE..
appears on many of Bill
Gibb’s outfits. Starting
as a round bumble
bee it became the signature of his
collections. Into the 1980s the bee
grew up and transformed itself into a
more elegant, almost butterfly-shape
creature spreading its wings across the
cape shoulder line of evening dresses.
The bee also buzzed into his menswear
collections and appeared on his carrier
bags, invitation cards and even the
door of the Bond Street shop. When
his friends and colleagues wished to
mark a special occasion, another bee
for his huge collection was always
appropriate.
BELOW:
Detail of knitwear including moon & budda motifs
fashion world. After the short mini dresses
of the 1960s he emerged with designs
which broke all the rules: fantasy clothes
combining fabric, texture, colour, pattern
and embroidery in a wholly adventurous
way. Yet his sense of judgement and
balance was always correct.
But the designing process was hard. From
start to finish it might take as long as
three months to complete a collection.
The process began by selecting fabrics and
experimenting with colour combinations.
Gradually an idea, a colour theme, formed.
Design sketches were roughed out, a whole
series of finely detailed figures through
ABOVE LEFT: Ballgowns 1981/82
ABOVE RIGHT: Example of tailoring with contrasting colour trim 1977/78
BOTTOM LEFT: Knitting featuring Paisley pattern with pine cone motif. 1976
BOTTOM RIGHT: Printed leather suit, inspired by hippie style. 1971
which the theme was progressed, adjusted
and improved. From two to three hundred
rough sketches, fifty or sixty complete
ensembles were chosen. These outfits had
to be saleable, either as individual pieces or
combining to create a complete “Bill Gibb
Look”.
Bill rarely worked in colour, often in black
Once the designing process was complete, he relied on the
skills of his pattern cutters, machinists, embroiderers and
tailors to turn the inspiration into reality.
www.aberdeencity.gov.uk
Produced by
Aberdeen City Council Education
Department Sevices to Schools & Centres
in conjunction with
Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums
The highlight of the collection was when it was finally
unveiled to buyers and the public. The shows were
theatrical events, an entire production of the perfect
background, atmosphere, music and colour, a triumph of
planning which allowed the clothes to speak for themselves.
Despite his wealth of creative talent Bill Gibb failed to
Photographs copyright
Aberdeen Art Gallery & Museums
Woman’s Journal Offer, 1981,
giving readers the opportunity
to buy a capsule wardrobe.
Text by Christine Rew - Keeper (Applied Art)
Arts & Recreation Department