Bill Gibb (1943-1988) Floral Print Satin Dress with 'Bee Buttons', Autumn Winter 1972

Bill Gibb (1943-1988) Floral Print Satin Dress with 'Bee Buttons', Autumn Winter 1972 A full-length, peach-coloured silk gown with marbling effect design depicting colourful flowers, with long-sleeves, a scooped neckline and collar, rounded side pockets and visible stitching throughout, featuring enamel bee shape buttons down the front and a belt with centre-fastening forming two large bees Labelled size 14 Footnotes: William Elphinstone Gibb, known as Bill, was born in Aberdeenshire, Scotland. Throughout his childhood, his creativity was encouraged by his grandmother and schoolteachers, leading him to study Dress Design and Fashion Drawing at St. Martin's School of Art, London, in 1962. After graduating top of his class, he went on to do his postgraduate degree at the Royal College of Art, alongside fellow designers, Ossie Clark and Zandra Rhodes. This piece is from Gibb's debut collection, which explored the theme of nature, and features his trademark bee motif, with the 'B' standing for Bill. He became one of Britain's top designers in the 1970s, creating fantastical garments that drew inspiration from Medieval fashion, Pre-Raphaelite paintings, his global travels and his native Scotland. One of his biggest supporters and closest friends was model Twiggy, who said, 'Bill Gibb was my friend and I loved him. He was also one of the great fashion designers of the 20th Century.' Furthermore, designers such as Giles Deacon and John Galliano have praised his work, with some of his pieces being in the permanent collections of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, in New York. For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com For further information about this lot please visit the lot listing