Exhibition celebrates the women who shaped 150 years of Liberty's textile designs

"For 150 years, the Liberty department store has commissioned artists to create its distinctive fabrics - and now a new exhibition shines a light on the women who broke through social and professional barriers to design for the famous London store. At a time when women had few routes into paid artistic work, Liberty became an unlikely pioneer, employing female designers decades before such opportunities were commonplace."

"Better record-keeping finally arrived in the 1930s, revealing a generation of artists who were given early opportunities by Liberty and later established successful freelance careers. A short film features interviews with some of the surviving designers, and while no one was ever likely to criticise the company on camera, genuine warmth and gratitude comes through for the chances Liberty gave them."

"The exhibition is, inevitably, rich in fabrics - but it is far from just a parade of swatches. There are garments created from Liberty textiles, designers' notebooks filled with sharp asides, and stories that lift the archive off the page. One memorable example is Sarah Campbell's exasperated 1960s note about the store's unshakeable love of paisley, offering to produce yet more "horrible bright paisley" if she must. Liberty said yes - so she did."

Liberty department store commissioned artists for distinctive fabrics across 150 years and provided early paid work opportunities for women when such routes were scarce. Early archives preserved samples but often failed to record designers' names, leaving many patterns unattributed. Improved record-keeping from the 1930s revealed a generation of artists who later pursued successful freelance careers. Oral histories and a short film capture surviving designers expressing warmth and gratitude for Liberty's chances. Exhibition displays fabrics, garments, designers' notebooks, and personal notes that humanize the archive, while some designers remain uncredited and overlooked.

Read at ianVisits