Since 1875, Liberty has been known and appreciated for its luxury products and great design. Liberty is not just a name above a door, it’s the name of Arthur Liberty, the man whose vision & pioneering spirit led him to travel the world in search of individual and inspiring pieces that would put Liberty a cut above the rest.
Arthur Liberty was born in Buckinghamshire in 1843. He was employed at Messrs Farmer and Rogers in Regent Street in 1862, and by 1874, he had decided to start a business of his own, with the strong belief that he could change the look of home wares and fashion.
The shop opened in 1875 and sold ornaments, fabric and objects from Japan and the East.
In 1885, he had acquired a bigger property on Regent St which housed the ever-increasing demand for carpets and furniture, in 1884 he had introduced a costume department which challenged the fashions of Paris, and the store, by that time, had become the most fashionable place to shop in London and iconic Liberty fabrics were used for both clothing and furnishings.
It wasn't until the 1920s that the magnificent Tudor building was built so that trading could continue while renovations were being completed on the other premises. In 1924 Liberty was constructed from the timbers of two ships: HMS Impregnable and HMS Hindustan.
The Tudor building was designed at the height of the 1920s fashion for Tudor revival. Arthur Liberty wanted to create the feeling that you were walking around your own home when you came to his store. Many of the rooms had fireplaces and some still exist today.
In the 1950s and 60s, Liberty continued its tradition for fashionable design. There were both contemporary and traditional design collections in all departments, and new up and coming designers were promoted which often included those still reflecting the Liberty passion for hand-crafted work. Men and women were both focussed on luxury and extravagance, and Eastern influences were an inspiration for society, as well as art nouveau.
Today Liberty remains a must-see store in London and has still managed to maintain its individualism by combining latest fashions with design classics.
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