Background
In 1875, at the age of 33, Arthur Liberty opened a small shop on Regent Street, London. Originally selling ornaments, he soon expanded to include fabrics, oriental carpets and china. Their dyed fabrics, silks in Liberty colours, delicate pastel tints of blue, greenish yellow, gold and coral became world famous. The iconic Liberty scarf was produced once a year during the early 20th century but by the 1950’s they were a central part of the Liberty story, and an enduring part of their brand. A dedicated design studio was established and many notable freelance designers were employed including Althea McNish, Bernard Neville, Robert Stewart, Lucienne Day, Colleen Farr and Sonia Delauney. A scarf offered an opportunity for designers to experiment with different sizes, shapes and printing techniques. As a fashion accessory that can be worn and tied in various ways, scarves are adaptable to different social and cultural contexts, contributing to their global popularity.
Printworks
E. Littler & Co, based at Merton Abbey in Surrey, block printed textiles and scarves for Liberty, and by 1890, Liberty’s were taking up the whole of Littlers production. In 1904 Liberty took over the works, continuing to handprint there until 1973 when the premises were sold.
David Evan’s set up a textile printing business in London in 1843 and was the last remaining when it closed in 2001. Initially block printing was the way of production, then screen and automated printing was introduced. Their reputation for Real Ancient Madder Silks, using a secret process, enabled the company to maintain its place as the very pinnacle of the industry serving Harrods, Liberty’s and Richard Allan.
Designers
Susan Jane Collier was an English textile designer who began by selling designs to Richard Allan and joined Liberty in 1961, becoming their Design and Colour Consultant. Her sister Sarah Campbell joined her in 1968, and co-founded Collier Campbell Ltd in 1979. They created some of Libertys best loved designs celebrating bold colours and bright tones.
Althea McNish first designed scarves for Liberty after graduating in 1957. Growing up in Trinidad, her Caribbean inspired designs were big, bold and colourful, and went on to design for other major British scarf labels Jacqmar and Richard Allan. The post- war customers appreciated her vibrant fresh designs, abstract florals and modernity. She went on to create over 60 silk scarves, dress and furnishing fabrics for Liberty’s.
Sonia Delauney grew up in St Petersberg and settled in Paris at 20, becoming a pioneering figure in modern art. Textiles were central to her practice including fashion and costume, being committed to wearable abstract, vibrant and expressive design. One of her scarf designs for Liberty was created in her nineties.
Colleen Farr having worked as a freelancer, became Libertys first in-house designer in 1952. Her inventive approach, combining traditional techniques with bold experimentation, helped redefine Liberty’s post-war aesthetic and set a new direction for British textile design.
Robert Stewart was head of printed textiles at the Glasgow School of Art, and collaborated with Liberty’s which ensued for many years. He produced a number of textiles for Liberty in the 1950's and was one of the few designers to have his name printed on his scarf designs.
Bernard Neville taught at the Central School of Art and Design, and later at St Martin’s School of Art and the Royal College of Art. His wide knowledge and interest would manifest itself in his textile designs for Liberty’s, and while initially responsible for scarves he was made Design Director for Liberty in the mid-60's.