Carlo Pignatelli, fashion show in Milan
Carlo Pignatelli, fashion show in Milan, I'm the one in the middle!
Scene Magazine May Issue 1998
Neil Cunningham catalogue shot at my apartment
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"I feel a sense of rebirth. You can't arrive at 60 or 70 and think, 'if only...' I'm an insatiable person, and I'm hungry for what's out there. It's the here and now that matters".
Interview with Jibby Beane by Edward Platt for The Big Issue, September 1994
I started modelling in the late sixties, early seventies and have returned to it again more recently. When I am invited I love doing pop videos, films and commercials too. I have appeared in Massive Attack's fantastic video by Jonathan Glazer for the single 'Karmacoma'. I was just visible on the end of a bed watching a young chap strip in George Michael's incredible 'Fast Love' video. I view it as great fun and a chance to meet interesting people (sometimes).
This is me, on the right, as a fashion saleswoman! It was great fun, just like going on stage a few days a week. Fraser would play some loud music by Led Zeppelin and people would love hanging out there, especially on Saturday afternoons. A lot of business took place there too, by the way. I met a lot of wonderful people in the shops, and I have to say that the atmosphere since has not had quite the same headiness.
My return to fashion (I started out as a vendeuse assistant to the couture house Victor Stiebel when I was seventeen) began in 1992 when I worked in the Vivienne Westwood shops in London. It was pure theatre and a great scene existed then with society people like Lord and Lady MacAlpine coming in as well as very colourful figures like the DJ, Jeremy Healy. The staff were great too, and we used to listen to fantastic music all day. I was asked by Vivienne to do her Paris fashion show, 'Grand Hotel' in 1993. It was amazing being up there with Naomi, Kristen, et al if a little intimidating as I had never done catwalk before. All my early jobs were photographic and commercials only. It was wonderful in the end, me wearing what is now known as the 'Jibby Dress', a diamante studded affair with a plubging neckline and an outrageous fish-tail. I was allowed to keep the dress which was quite something!
Predrag Pajdic (or Pedja as he affectionately known) was introduced to me as a fashion design student at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in 1994. I was delighted to accept his invitation to model for his degree show, dressed as I was in chinoiserie and full length pure cashmere dress coates. Here's how I looked in the grande finale of his show at the Business Design Centre. The paniered dress was a major work of art and I have since placed some of his items in museums including the Costume Institute at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. The V&A have a pair of shoes! It was only after this when I went I went to his studio and discovered that he is also an artist of incredible talent.
He set up a fashion company after leaving called Sebastian, London. Two outstanding collections were produced.
In addition to Pedja's degree show I have also helped him organise other fashion shows including one at a club I used to run at Ormonds, 'Jibby's Arts Club' in 1995. Here I am wearing crazy white ostrich feathers and a gorgeous knitted top. You could have read about my wild weekend in Amsterdam with Jonathan, Pedja and his friend Tatu from Finland at Condé Nast Traveller Magazine but the link has died.
I want to do it all, I don't want to miss a thing! As I love doing fashion I was delighted when I was invited to do a show for darling Carlo Pignatelli in Milan. Channel 4 were making a film about moi, 'Jibby Beane...the art scene queen', for a series entitled, 'Women at Play', and they came along on the early morning call to Heathrow. You see me trying to light up a More cigarette in Milan airport in white plastic Westwood mac and de regeur Hollywood diva dark glasses.
In the photo on the left I am playing Scarlett O'Hara and my Rett Butler happens to be the beautiful son of Anthony Quinn. I do have a tremendous sense of fun and try not to take myself too seriously, difficult for some people in the often pretentious world of art.
Carlo wanted me to go on the catwalk in his swimwear with some beefy boys, who was I to argue?
I love wearing men's clothes.and I think I suit them particularly these gorgeous, decadent dressy items by darling Carlo! This stuff is just perfect for weddings or very special occassions. I wish everybody dressed up as grandly as this still but somehow, in this day and age, all this grandeur seems to have left us. We shot this beautiful sequence in my old Gloucester Terrace apartment with Mira Bernabeu's muslin draped bodies as a backdrop. I think this is a very classy sequence of photos.
The excellent and very charming English photographer, Jocelyn Bain-Hogg, shot this very modern portrait for Scene Magazine, May Issue 1998. The piece was a sort-of A to Z of 'modernism'. I should have thought post-moderism was more the order of the day, even post-post-modernism! But I was delighted to be listed under J for Jibby Beane!
I love the t-shirt which I first picked up in Amsterdam although it's made by the English team David and Eric working as 'Combination'. I have recently commissioned them to do a 'darling' t-shirt, perfect! Having got to know and love them I asked them to make some outrageous tops and dresses with spiky rubber inserts. I have one each in white, silver and red and they certainly raise afew eyebrows going out down the road to my car!
Scene loved the whole look so much they actually repeated it in a later issue, this time featuring the provocative red rubber horn dress! I love this picture I think it looks so optimistic and fun. Scene is very cool.
Mario Testino, world-renowned photographer (of Madonna and Diana fame) took this mad picture of me for W Magazine as part of a feature on London. I am wearing a ripped stocking look dress by Pedja which I also wore to great effect on my appearance on Barrymore television chat show where I allowed a little fun to be poked at me.
Neil Cunningham, couturier, London
This was Neil Cunningham's first fashion show, during London Fashion Week, Spring 1999. I am a huge fan of his incredible attention to detail and unique ability to flatter a woman. His private showroom in Sackville street is a destination for such classy women as Darcy Bussell, the ballet dancer. I have just had the most gorgeous white leather trouser suit made for me with lots of lovely stitching. It looks very modern, a la Barbarella!
Previously, I modelled Neil more stunning creations for a gorgeous catalogue which was shot in my apartment. The shoot featrued me as the liberal aunt allowing a gorgeous young couple to use my facilites, as it were. There was lots of lounging around on the sexy furniture and bed with me keeping a watchful but approving eye on the young lovers.
Have a look at my galleries to see some more photos of me.
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Vivienne Westwood, Davies Street W1 shop, 1993
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Predrag Pajdic BA Fashion show at Saint Martins College of Art and Design
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Predrag Pajdic fashion collection at Jibby's Arts Club, Ormonds, London 1995
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Carlo Pignatelli, shoot for catalogue
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Carlo Pignatelli, shoot for catalogue
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Scene Magazine Dec Issue 1998
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W Magazine, London feature
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Neil Cunningham, couturier, London
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