Molly Parkin College, London, and then a scholarship to Brighton College of Art. After marriage she became a teacher, painting throughout this period. After a series of affairs, including a long-term association with James Robertson Justice, Parkin separated from her husband at the start of the 1960s; at this time she lost the desire, inspiration and passion to continue with her artwork. To support her two daughters, Parkin turned to fashion. After making hats and bags for Barbara Hulanicki at Biba, and working alongside Mary Quant, she opened her own Chelsea boutique, which was featured in a "Newsweek" article about Swinging London.
Biba had been worn by Brigitte Bardot. By the morning after the dress was advertised in the "Daily Mirror", over 4,000 orders had been received. Ultimately, some 17,000 outfits were sold. Hulanicki worked as a fashion illustrator after studying at Brighton Art College in the late 1950s. She married advertising executive Stephen Fitz-Simon and they soon opened a mail order clothing company that she named Biba's Postal Boutique. Biba was the nickname of her younger sister Biruta. The first store, in Abingdon Road in Kensington, was opened in September 1964. Hulanicki’s first encounter with her new customers was at 10 o’clock