Discover the life and work of one of the most innovative designers of 20th-century British fashion, Bill Gibb, in this richly illustrated reappraisal of his work.
Scottish-born Bill Gibb (1943–1988) was a fashion pioneer whose fantastical designs encapsulate the vibrancy of the 1970s. British Vogue awarded him the title Designer of the Year in 1970, but despite his contemporary relevance and associations with fashion icons like Bianca Jagger, Elizabeth Taylor and Twiggy, his legacy remains largely unexplored.
With a foreword by Dame Zandra Rhodes, this groundbreaking book redefines Gibb's contribution to fashion design, with insights from experts including Iain R. Webb, N. J. Stevenson, Jeena Sharma, Marie McLoughlin, and Christine Rew. There are also interviews with Gibb's sisters, fashion designer Giles Deacon and Gibb's long-time collaborator Kaffe Fassett to present a more personal perspective on his creative journey and attitudes to contemporary concerns like sustainability and cultural appropriation.
Featuring over 100 colour illustrations including previously unpublished fashion drawings, patterns, and garments, this edited collection offers a unique perspective on Gibb's artistic vision and shows how 21st century designers can learn from his unique body of work.
Featuring contributions from renowned scholars, curators and creatives, this edited collection re-evaluates British fashion designer Bill Gibb's international legacy in relation to contemporary concerns such as sustainability, cultural appropriation, and fashion education.
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Featuring contributions from renowned scholars, curators and creatives, this edited collection re-evaluates British fashion designer Bill Gibbs international legacy in relation to contemporary concerns such as sustainability, cultural appropriation, and fashion education.
List of Illustrations
Foreword, Dame Zandra Rhodes, Fashion and Textile Designer
Acknowledgements
Introduction, Shane Strachan, University of Aberdeen, UK and Josephine Steed,
Robert Gordon University, UK
Part One: Gibbs design process: influences and collaborations
1. An interview with Bill Gibbs sisters
2. Disciplined flamboyance: Gibbs drawing and design process, Christine
Rew, Former Manager of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums Service,
UK
3. Britains fashion education revolution: Bricolage and Historicism in
the work of Bill Gibb, Marie McLoughlin, University of Brighton, UK
4. Folkloric revivals and exoticism in fashion: Bill Gibb and the vanguard of
designers in 1960s-1970s France, Elizabeth Fischer, University of Art
and Design HEAD - Genève, Switzerland
5. An interview with Kaffe Fassett, Artist
6. Gibbs knitwear in the 1970s: collaboration, innovation and slow
fashion, Josephine Steed, Robert Gordon University, UK
Part Two: Gibbs fashion legacy
7. The show must go on: was Bill Gibb the greatest showman?, Iain R
Webb, Kingston University, UK
8. Souvenirs of style: a web of memory association, NJ Stevenson,
London College of Fashion, University of the Arts London, UK
9. An interview with Morna Annandale of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and
Museums
10. Restyled and reimagined: exploring Bill Gibbs digital legacy on
Instagram, Madeleine Marcella-Hood, Christina Reid and Peter Reid,
Robert Gordon University, UK
11. From Gibb to Gucci: how folklore fashions comfort in turbulent
times, Karen Cross, Robert Gordon University, UK
Part Three: Reinterpreting Gibb today
12. Bill Gibb through the lens of cultural appropriation, Jeena Sharma,
Fashion Journalist
13. Addressing climate change through Bill Gibbs design legacy, Lynn
Wilson, University of Glasgow, UK
14. An interview with Giles Deacon, Fashion Designer
15. Exploring Gibbs design process within fashion education, Shane
Strachan, University of Aberdeen, UK and Josephine Steed, Robert Gordon
University, UK
16. The Bill Gibb Line: creative crossovers in fashion and poetry, Shane
Strachan, University of Aberdeen, UK
Notes
Selected References
List of Contributors
Index
Shane Strachan is a lecturer in Creative Writing at the University of Aberdeen, UK, who grew up in the same Aberdeenshire town as Bill Gibb. He created and performed The Bill Gibb Line, a spoken word podcast, film and exhibition at Aberdeen Art Gallery, and has also worked with V&A Dundee on Gibb.
Josephine Steed is Associate Dean for Research at Grays School of Art, Robert Gordon University, UK. She co-coordinated the Bill Gibb Symposium at Aberdeen Art Gallery in March 2021 and is the co-author of Sourcing Ideas for Textile Design (Bloomsbury Visual Arts, 2020).
