I am just back from a little gallivant around London as I am want to do every so often.
I had a hit-list as usual and one of my destinations was the Liberty in Fashion exhibition on at the Fashion and Textile museum. Liberty was set up 140 years go to retail goods from the Far East but it soon began contributing to British fashion by both its influence and it’s offerings.
Arthur Liberty wanted to create a new fashion and did so by developing “Art Colours” and Liberty’s own fabrics.
These qualities were distinctive and soon became adjectives in themselves e.g.; softly draping silk was known simply as Liberty silk.
The idea of dressing with references to history or artistic movements soon became synonymous with The Liberty Look.
Before WWI Liberty produced delicate floral prints. By 1920 the shopper preferred designs on darker grounds which then gave way to pastel shades on lighter grounds to reflect the romantic mood of the 1930’s. The latter is still considered the archetypal Liberty print.
In the 1960’s Liberty’s embraced the fashion forward crowd, collaborating with new designers. But my interest peaks with 1920 – 40’s and picks up again in the 1970’s when Collier and Campbell began to design for Liberty’s.
It’s not a big exhibition but there is design reference and inspiration a plenty.
Back soon with more of What Claire Did.
