Liberty in Fashion exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum

A couple of weeks ago my 5 year old and I ventured into London for a day out on our own. He is great company and loves the tube so we made a little detour so we could take in the DLR too. Our destination was the Fashion and Textile Museum to see the Liberty in Fashion exhibition.

Liberty in Fashion exhibition

I’ve always loved Liberty fabric, especially the Liberty beanbag frog a family friend had when I was little. Do you remember them? I think they date from the 1980s and I managed to find one in a charity shop recently.

Anyway, the whole of the Fashion and Textile Museum is given over to the Liberty exhibition and I absolutely loved every part of it.

Liberty in Fashion celebrates the 140th anniversary of the company. The exhibition charts Liberty’s history as ‘the’ fashionable place to shop as well as its role as the source and originator of key trends in fashion history.

Over 150 garments, textiles and objects demonstrate Liberty’s strong relationships with designers since 1875, from Arthur Silver of Silver Studio to collaborations with Jean Muir, Cacharel, Yves Saint Laurent and Vivienne Westwood.

The exhibition explores Liberty’s impact on British fashion, from Orientalism and Aesthetic dress in the 19th century, through Art Nouveau and Art Deco in the early 20th century, and the revival of these styles since the 1950s. Liberty Art Fabrics and the textile design studio take centre stage as the internationally recognised leader in floral, paisley and patterned prints and dress fabrics.

I think I took a photograph of every display as the colours and fashions just blew me away. Liberty style comes through in every decade, even the 1970s and 1980s.

The Exhibition runs from 9 October 2015 to 28 February 2016 and I would recommend it for anyone who loves fashion, Liberty fabric, design or the history of a London institution.