Founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty, Liberty & Co. was established in 1875 with the goal of introducing Londoners to luxury goods from faraway places. Shortly after opening a small shop on Regent Street, the company began printing its own fabrics inspired by traditional Japanese designs. The avant-garde textiles, which featured floral motifs, paisleys, and abstract patterns, achieved immediate, widespread acclaim. That success led to several store expansions, and the grand Tudor revival building that still serves as the brand’s flagship today was completed in 1924. To this day, original Liberty fabric designs are drawn or painted by hand at the company’s in-house design studio and printed in Como, Italy. Renowned for its collaborations with artists and designers, the brand boasts an archive of more than 45,000 unique designs. “It’s a little bit of joy in a fabric,” says Mary Everard, a 2021 Better Homes & Gardens Stylemaker and the lifestyle blogger behind Mary & Crew. Everard says she typically wears at least one article of Liberty-print apparel every day, whether that’s a floral-patterned scarf or a colorful pair of flats. “It’s art as clothing.” The intricate detail is what sets Liberty prints apart from other floral patterns. “Every single flower is a piece of art in this larger puzzle of a pattern,” Everard says. Rendered in bright, contrasting colors, the mini florals work well with solid colors or neutrals as well as other patterns like stripes, checkered designs, and larger-scale floral motifs. Although these iconic patterns are more than a century old, Liberty prints feel as fresh as ever on products that capture the originals’ joyful spirit. Buy It: Liberty Cocktail Napkins ($14-$52, Etsy) Buy It: Poppy Floral Wallpaper by primsociety ($18-$72, Spoonflower) Buy It: Violets Are Blue Floral Print Notebook, $16 (originally $19), Society6 Buy It: Face Covering in Liberty June Blosson ($43, Invited Journal)
