Archival Inspiration: The Story of Liberty Scarves
As we celebrate 150 years, allow us to take you on the journey of one of our most iconic products.
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Archival Inspiration: The Story of Liberty Scarves
As we celebrate 150 years, allow us to take you on the journey of one of our most iconic products.
Think of Liberty and, for most, one iconic product springs to mind: the Liberty scarf. With a story woven alongside the tale of the store itself, elegant scarves are, perhaps, the most quintessentially “Liberty” piece imaginable.
In the 1860s, long before Sir Arthur Lasenby Liberty founded his eponymous store, his journey began by selling wares at a London shawl emporium. Inspired by the elegance and artistry of styles imported from across the globe, scarves were among the first products to be sold in his own store, Liberty London, when it opened to the world in 1875.
Since then, Liberty scarves have picked up a global reputation: renowned for quality, inspirational designs and a storied history that stretches generations and centuries. As we kick of a year of celebrations marking our 150th anniversary, it’s only natural to take a journey through Liberty’s world of scarves – past and present.
In the words of a 1950s Liberty scarf catalogue: “Smart people say they can never have too many Liberty scarves”, so, for a taste of this history, head in to store to experience our scarves in their original home.
Scarves Through the Centuries
From the early 1900s, Liberty block printed scarves and shawls at the Merton Abbey Printworks, catering to the fashionable crowds with globally inspired designs. While the Merton Abbey factory is no more, each scarf is still printed in the UK, at Liberty’s Macclesfield printworks.
As one of the enduring fashion staples of the early 20th century, Liberty scarves came into their prime in the 1930s and 1940s, when annual catalogues chronicled the array of styles and designs that were crafted each year.
So crucial to the 20th century woman’s wardrobe were Liberty scarves, that illustrator Joyce Denny’s 1930s booklet proclaimed: “If you can’t afford any clothes, buy a Liberty scarf. Suitable for all occasions from golf to beachwear to dancing”.
From the heritage florals and botanical motifs of Liberty’s earliest designs, through the paisleys of the 1970s, 1980s abstractism and the digital revolution of the 21st century: Liberty’s focus on artisanal, exuberant styles has persisted throughout: always at the avant-garde of print design.
From the Archives
The journey to a new scarf often begins in the Liberty archive, with the in-house design team working alongside Liberty’s archivists to unearth the treasures that will inspire new designs.
“It is such a privilege to have this endless source of inspiration, endless authentic starting points,” says Jacqueline Ednie, a textile design consultant in the Liberty design studio. “When designing I work with the archivists to search for a specific type of artwork or reference point.”
With 150 years of fashion, fabrics and print history, these archival snippets can range from delicate swatches to print books or solid silk colours. “I love how they are recorded and often juxtaposed with clashing colour or print types,” says Ednie.
"I often find our most exquisite designs are conversational, so the scarf becomes a piece of artwork on a canvas, but the canvas just happens to be silk," adds Alexandra Lovatt, senior designer. "We work with a lot of stylised nouveau designs, florals and arts and crafts, but my personal favourite are the abstract designs we house in the archive, they are so contemporary and often people may not even believe were Liberty designs."
From here, the design process begins in earnest. “We create unique artworks for every design, drawing by hand and refining this digitally until the artwork is complete. We then develop a series of colourways, that link back to the archive starting point or are in line with the seasonal fabric collection.”
Liberty
Ianthe 45 x 45cm Silk Twill Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Ianthe 90 x 90 Silk Foulard Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Iphis 45 x 45cm Silk Twill Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Liberty Stage 45x45 Silk Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Peace Love And Liberty 70x70 Silk Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Big Smoke Silk Twill Scarf (45X45cm)
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Hera Bunch 45X45 Silk Twill Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Stitch by Stitch
True to our hand-printing origins, each of Liberty’s scarf designs is printed on silk by skilled printers in Macclesfield and Italy, with designers and creators collaborating on the techniques used to craft each piece. "We will be looking at multiple influences, exhibitions, trends, we are even sometimes led by a gorgeous new quality or printing technique we have seen and are on the hunt for the perfect design to execute this with," explains Lovatt.
“We visit our suppliers in Itay and the UK to see newly developed techniques,” adds Ednie, “Such as new innovative printing methods or finishing techniques, washes, yarn combinations.”
For the most recent collection of scarves celebrating our 150th anniversary, Liberty’s in-house design team embraced innovative techniques to craft designs that bring our storied history into the modern day. Placing Liberty itself centre stage in a collection of designs brought to life, each design is hand painted in Liberty’s design studio, exactly as it would have been 150 years ago.
Our World of Scarves
From featherweight silk kerchiefs to luxuriant cosy cashmere shawls, today’s selection of scarves is as broad in form as it is in design, and its appeal is as enduring as ever. "Because we have a rich print history there is such excitement to owning a piece of Liberty print on such a special item as scarf," says Lovatt. "A Liberty scarf has been synonymous with our store ever since our scarf emporium opened decades ago. We have always been a destination for scarves and in the design team we try to honour our heritage by creating just as beautiful scarf designs today."
Liberty
Iphis 45 x 45cm Silk Twill Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
All You Need Is Love And Liberty 70x70 Silk Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Ianthe 70 x 70cm Silk Twill Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Lodden 70 x 70 Silk Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Liberty London Peacock Garden 70 x 70 Silk Twill Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Liberty
Peace Love And Liberty 70x70 Silk Scarf
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
Free UK Standard delivery within 5 working days on all orders over £100
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