Biba’s make-up and cosmetics line, launched in 1970, was pioneering in every sense of the word. Alongside the likes of Mary Quant, another iconoclastic fashion label emblematic of the late 1960s and early 1970s subculture, it revolutionised how make-up was designed, marketed, and worn, speaking to a new generation pushing against mainstream conventions.
And, it’s hard to imagine that the beauty industry, which is now estimated to be worth $599.33 billion as of 2024, would look anything like it does today, without the risk-taking of Biba founder, Barbara Hulanicki.
