Liberty Fabrics

New and original designs have are added to the Liberty London Fabric collections seasonally. Designers down the ages have drawn inspiration from the Liberty archive of fabrics with its depictions of art, architecture and nature. The iconic Liberty Print has shown a renaissance in 2008/9 with high-profile collaborations with Nike and Gap amongst others.

This autumn Liberty launches a new and highly innovative collection of fabrics, fusing the compelling work of six established British artists with the innovative creations from the Liberty Design Studio. The contributing artists are Turner Prize winner Grayson Perry, Paul Morrison, Mike McInnerney, Michael Angove, Anj Smith, and Simon Hart. These fabrics are all now available online from the Liberty London website.

Liberty opened to the public on May 15th 1875, when the founder, Arthur Lasenby Liberty, purchased the lease on a half-shop in Regent Street. Arthur Liberty spent many years travelling in the Orient and would bring home beautiful rugs and fabrics from countries he visited. He involved William Morris and other famous artists of the 19th century in the designing of rugs and materials. Some of these early designs are still used today. Liberty was one of the first to embrace the new Art Nouveau style in the mid 1890s. In the 1920s, Liberty began to produce floral prints, known as Liberty Prints. The best known of the fabrics of this time was the Tana Lawn, which is still a Liberty best-seller. Tana Lawn was so named because the cotton originated in the area near Tana Lake in the Sudan.

Since it instigated its 'Renaissance of Liberty' strategy in February 2008, including a refurbishment of its flagship Regent Street store, Liberty has achieved double-digit sales growth and said that the number of international outlets selling its Liberty of London range of fashion and accessories has continued apace. The shop is probably most famous for its oriental rugs and carpets, and long reams of coloured fabrics. A real London institution. The design studio create new and re-work classic prints every season, inspired by nature, architecture, Liberty's heritage and the store itself.

Liberty Fabrics at Liberty.co.uk

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