Liberty Love, the early days....
Since being a child I've always been surrounded by fabrics, textiles, colour and print.
My Mother and Grandma were both dressmakers, so there were always bundles of fabrics in our house, stored or stuffed into cupboards, on the dining room table, even stacked on the top of chairs.... I can't deny, I am exactly the same....its an addiction!
My Mum handmade some of my clothing when I was a small child, we also wore many 'hand me downs' Cloth Kits being a popular choice, I don't recall being lucky enough to actually wear Liberty, probably too expensive for a large family.
Fast-forward, I then worked in the fashion industry for nearly 20 years, I designed clothing for various ladies high street Brands and retailers, this involved sourcing fabrics for these collections continuously.
I looked at fabrics collections from all over the world, attended fabric Trade Fairs twice a year, Premiere Vision Paris, being the most rememberable, and now as I look back, my favourite ranges were the always Tweeds, fancy jacquards and the Prints by @Liberty.
- The Liberty Trade stand in Paris would always be so busy, with designers and buyers from all over the globe pushing their way onto a chaotic stand... it would be a good opportunity to have a quick overview of the new collection and pick up some cherished memorabilia, lovely flyers and postcards, of which I still have some today. See photos of some which are 20 years old.
I'd view the collection privately in our office, leafing through the beautiful prints, the classic Ditsy Florals, bringing feelings of nostalgia. Often we were asked by the brands to find 'Liberty Ditsy Floral types', some of the brands did use original Liberty designs, such as Liberty LK Bennett, the prints were Classics for example Eliza and Wiltshire coming to mind, I actually still have some of the fabric offcuts to this very day.
Favourite Designs from these years, were Capel, Mitsi and of course the William Morris Designs Lodden and my absolute favourite being Strawberry Thief.
I didn't know back then, that this range would become so important to my life in the future years. But i did appreciate the honesty of the collection, the beautiful hand feel of the Tana Lawn Cotton fabric and visiting Liberty store in the West End was always a joy.
Long may this Liberty Love continue.....