The Biba Story: 1964–1975 is now open! 🐆✨
We’re delighted to be hosting this iconic exhibition exploring how Biba grew from a small mail-order boutique into the world’s first lifestyle label. The exhibition is enriched by shared memories and personal items generously donated by our community through our 'Bring Oot Your Biba' campaign, reconnecting us with the lived experience of the era.
Step into the world of Biba, a phenomenon that changed how a generation dressed, shopped and lived!
👗 The Biba Story: 1964–1975
📅 Friday 6 Feb – Sunday 28 Jun
🎫 Monday–Saturday | 10:00–17:00
David Remfry: In Residence is now open! 🖼️
*Please note the exhibition is now closing on Friday 12 June 2026*
We are delighted to welcome Remfry's lyrical artistic vision to Edinburgh with our new exhibition featuring 30 evocative paintings and his first-ever tapestry, created with Dovecot Studios!
🎨David Remfry: In Residence
📍Tapestry Studio Viewing Balcony
🗓️21 February - 12 June 2026
🕛Mon-Fri 12:00-15:00 | Sat 10:00-17:00
🎫Free admission
POV: you made it just in time ⏱️
Witness the final weeks of a remarkable new tapestry, designed by Zimbabwean Scottish artist Sekai Machache for the University of Aberdeen. Tap the link in our bio for the full story, and visit our Viewing Balcony to catch it on the loom before it's cut off ✂️
🧵Viewing Balcony: Mon-Fri 12-3pm | Sat 10am-5pm
Did you know that Dovecot Studios used to be a swimming pool? 🏊♂️
The sun is shining here in Edinburgh and it’s officially swimming weather. This feeling is captured perfectly in Baths and Bathers by Douglas Grierson, a tapestry created to mark Dovecot’s 2008 move into our home at the restored Victorian swimming baths on Infirmary Street.
This playful design gathers iconic bathers from Seurat to Matisse against a Hockney-inspired backdrop, featuring a humorously placed Damien Hirst shark. From the ceramic tiles reflecting our colourful wool spools to the towel draped over the balcony, the tapestry honours the building’s past and collaborative present.
🩱Baths and Bathers, Douglas Grierson and Dovecot Studios
🧶Tapestry available to purchase, visit our website to enquire
Meet Dovecot Exhibitions Manager and Curator, Heather Carroll, as she discusses the idea behind ‘Bring Oot Your Biba' 🦚
The response to this campaign exceeded the teams expectations. What started as a call for entries has become the centerpiece of The Biba Story: 1964-1975, shaped by a collection of personal submissions. Thank you to our community who contributed cherished garments and memories, your stories have been essential in bringing this exhibition to life.
🦩The Biba Story:1964-1975
🎥 Ryan Scott | @ryanscottmedia
🚨Gird your loins 🚨
This year, the Met Gala theme is “Costume Art” and we spotted some Dovecot inspired outfits on the red carpet. Swipe to see our favourite looks as tapestries 🪭
#metgala | #fashionisart | #costumeart
Take a closer look at Remfry's more quiet and contemplative paintings from 1970s 🔎
David Remfry: In Residence explores the artists devotion to finding new and compelling ways to capture the body in motion or the indication of a lost figure. Remfry frequently rejects the idea that his paintings of people as portraits, yet his complete removal of a body could be interpreted as a portrait of space.
David Remfry: In Residence | 📍Dovecot Studios
In the shop, we have Vanesa shining a spotlight on our collection of original Veronica Papworth illustrations 👗
Veronica began her career at 17, illustrating men's clothing catalogues. In 1946, she joined The Star newspaper as a fashion writer and illustrator before moving to Sunday Express to author her own column, accompanied by her distinctive illustrations. Decades later, Barbara Hulanicki followed this exact blueprint, beginning her career as a fashion illustrator at 19 before building the Biba empire.
Presented by @graymca , our collection of Veronica's drawings are available to purchase in our shop or online.
When a bobbin becomes a stiletto heel 👠
In 2007, renowned fashion designer Chris Clyne was commissioned by Dovecot to create an article of clothing that would represent the versatility of weaving. Working alongside Master Weaver Naomi Robertson, the duo developed a mutual admiration for each other’s creativity, resulting in three distinct creations.
The corset is created from 12 parrot coloured panels and woven into an intricate tapestry, followed by a sculptural headpiece of woven strips stiffened with boning and twisted into exotic curves. Finally, the shoes were constructed from seven woven pieces and finished with a tapestry bobbin inspired stiletto heel.
🦜Christ Clyne: Corset, Headpiece and Shoes are available to purchase. Enquire via link in our bio.
Our next #BringOotYourBiba spotlight comes Charlie Hearn, reminiscing on his Biba memories with his late wife Veronica Hearn 💼
'Veronica and I met at The Gamp in Victoria Street as teenagers in 1964. One time I was photographing Veronica and a friend, who had both just purchased the famous Biba boas, not realising that Brian Jones (The Rolling Stones) was in the distant background. Over the years Veronica donated her Biba clothes and sadly passed away 4 years ago. I know she would be delighted for me to share her story with you.'
'On the 28th of October 2009, Barbara Hulanicki, visited the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh to promote "Beyond Biba". We took along this catalogue for her to sign. Unfortunately her pen "ran out" and so Veronica gave her pen and she re-signed over the original one - hence the double signature. She let her keep the pen!'
📸Swipe to see Veronica meeting Barbara Hulanicki at the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh
🔗Visit link in bio to read more Biba memories.
Meet Emma Weale, our new Apprentice Weaver! 🧶
Emma joined our Weaving team in February and is part of our intensive one-year apprenticeship programme. She is no stranger to the loom and joins us with years of experience and her own creative studio in Edinburgh.
To master Dovecot’s signature techniques, Emma is working through a series of technical challenges. Her current project is a woven interpretation of Paul Klee, focusing on precision colour blending and sewing up techniques 🪡 Swipe to see one of her colour studies!
