THE FABRIC OF OUR LIVES
IT’S HARD TO IMAGINE OUR HOMES WITHOUT A SMATTERING OF DITSY FLORALS OR WILLIAM MORRIS’ BOUGHS AND, FOR THAT, WE NEED TO APPLAUD THE VISION OF ARTHUR LIBERTY
From Granny’s frayed floral curtains to the coolest catwalk designs, Liberty Fabrics has transcended the generations to become a household name. Its prints are all at once familiar and fashionable, prestigious but feel universal – where the same pattern can grace a designer royal frock and a homemade tea cosy.
Arthur Lasenby Liberty would be delighted. When he founded the London department store that bears his name, he had a dream: “I was determined not to follow existing fashions,” he later said, “but to create new ones.”
It’s almost 150 years since Liberty opened its doors and its world-renowned fabrics are as fresh now as they were when Arthur first began printing his own textiles. Inspired by the luxurious silks he imported from India and East Asia, his homegrown designs quickly proved to be even more popular with his stylish customers – a booming Victorian middle class. From woodblocked paisleys and sprig florals, the Liberty archive now contains around 50,000 designs. Tana Lawn, Liberty’s signature silky cotton, was introduced in the 1930s to be a suitable canvas for these prints.
Today, Liberty’s designers still strive to create original, desirable designs – it collaborates with the likes of Barbour, the British Library, Dr. Martens and even Hello Kitty – and continues to reimagine classics that stay true to the vision of Arthur Liberty. History and heritage is indelibly printed on its fabric, just waiting to be unfurled by fans, old and new.
Though their designs are often instantly recognisable, many of the people behind Liberty’s famous prints remain anonymous. For example, mystery shrouds the true identity of the prolific designer DS, known only by their initials, whose Betsy, Wiltshire, Felicite and other pretty 1930s patterns are still on sale today.
Left: Betsy. Below: A page from a Liberty sample book showing Tana Classic ‘Felicite’ in the 1930s
William Morris was a Liberty shopper and supplier, as well as a competitor with his own glorious fabrics. His prints were sold by Liberty for many decades after Morris’ eponymous company closed its doors in 1940. Today, Liberty prints a selection of Morris’ best-loved designs, including Strawberry Thief and Lodden, which both continue to be revitalised and much-loved. Strawberry Thief by William Morris, originally designed in 1883 and first produced as a fabric in 1979
We often think of delicate, ditsy florals as its quintessential prints, but since the beginning, Liberty has embraced, and sometimes shaped, many art and design movements – in particular ‘Modern Style,’ the British arm of the Art Nouveau movement sweeping Europe at the turn of the 20th century. In fact, Italy’s take on Art Nouveau was named Stile Liberty in the store’s honour, such was its influence.
Butterfield Poppy by Lindsay Butterfield, 1900s, in a reworked colourway for Autumn/Winter 2022
Liberty was born out of the Aestheticism movement’s philosophy of “art for art’s sake” – all about shaking off the shackles of Victorian morality in favour of pure, unadulterated beauty. Just look at Hera, designed in 1876, mostly likely by Christopher Dresser (who also designed innovative teapots, vases and just about anything you’d want in your home). This elegant fabric, emblazoned with peacock feathers, continues to be a bestseller. Hera, probably designed by Christopher Dresser, 1876. Part of Liberty Fabrics’ Classics collection
A big part of a Liberty designer’s job is finding new ways to use old prints. Some, such as Hera, have been in the Liberty Fabrics family since the early days, refreshed over the years to appeal to new customers. Others, like perpetual favourite Ianthe, started life as something else entirely before becoming a printed textile. In 1902, it was a wallpaper border; in 1967, the design was updated as a fabric for modern, modish Liberty lovers. It was the revival of many of these patterns in the Sixties – reissued with updated colours for the bright, bold decade – that helped uphold Liberty’s trend-setting status. » Ianthe, originally a wallpaper design, by R. Beauclair, about 1902
Currently being celebrated at London’s William Morris Gallery is brilliant BritishTrinidadian textile designer Althea McNish, who brought a hefty dose of much-needed flamboyance, fun and movement to the brand in the late 1950s. She was first commissioned by Liberty shortly after her graduation, delivering painterly, tropicaltinged prints. Hula Hula and Port of Spain, among others, have recently been reissued – it’s astonishing how contemporary they seem.
Althea McNish, photographed in around 1970. Her shirt is made of Bezique, designed by Althea for Liberty, 1958, and she is surrounded by Malvaceae Hibiscus fabric, Liberty, 1959. Below: Port of Spain by Althea McNish, 1960, in reworked colours