About the Book
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Featuring over 100 colour illustrations including previously unpublished fashion drawings, patterns, and garments, this edited collection offers a unique perspective on Gibb's artistic vision and shows how 21st century designers can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.
Table of Contents:
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: Gibb's design process: influences and collaborations
1. An interview with Bill Gibb's sisters
2. Disciplined flamboyance: Gibb's drawing and design process, Christine Rew, Former Manager of Aberdeen Archives, Gallery and Museums Service, UK
3. Britain's 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. Gibb's knitwear in the 1970s: collaboration, innovation and 'slow' fashion, Josephine Steed, Robert Gordon University, UK
Part Two: Gibb's 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 Gibb's 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 Gibb's design legacy, Lynn Wilson, University of Glasgow, UK
14. An interview with Giles Deacon, Fashion Designer
15. Exploring Gibb's 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
About the Author :
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 Gray's 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).
