Arthur Lasenby Liberty was “determined not to follow existing fashions but to create new ones”. Liberty prints, in continuous production since 1875, have appealed to every generation since, whether traditional designs, or very modern “new” prints.
In 1875, Liberty opened his London emporium to sell luxuries, fabrics, and beautiful wares from the world’s greatest craftspeople. His style proved irresistible to society at the time, captivated by design from Japan and the Eastern World. So much so that the Art Nouveau period in Italy is called “Liberty Style”. His partnership with William Morris led to a whole new range from the artist-ecologist that essentially ignited the Arts and Crafts movement, especially as related to interior furnishings. Each decade finds a way to love Liberty prints.
As Oscar Wilde said, “Liberty is the chosen resort of the artistic shopper”. Each print does indeed have an artistic quality, like a work of art in itself. The prints are so highly distinctive, recognizable, and appreciated by artists and everyone who finds delight in these special prints – even London in the sixties was awash in Liberty print shirts on rockers like the Stones as well as country ladies with tweed skirts! Iconic prints include Hera Feather (coming soon in a scarf), Strawberry Thief (on one of our fabulous pillows) and any one of a number of beautifully detailed small scale floral prints (on our scarves and sachets) on our website.
Liberty’s signature fabric, Tana Lawn® is woven and printed in a top-secret process from ultra-fine long-staple Egyptian cotton that is so fine to the touch it almost feels like silk. It holds the vibrant color of Liberty iconic prints beautifully. Each print is hand-drawn or painted by the London based team, then applied to the fabric at Liberty’s mill in northern Italy. This beautiful silky cotton is cool to the touch, perfect for a little neck scarf, and for our organic lavender sachets, which easily release the lavender scent through the ultra-fine cotton. See our rescued pieces of Liberty repurposed in scarves and sachets in the Gifts section.