This autumn the Fashion and Textile Museum presents its first major retrospective of the 21st century on the pioneering retailer and design studio Liberty. At the cutting edge of design and the decorative arts since 1875, Liberty is celebrated throughout the world both as a department store and for its distinctive textile prints. Founded by Arthur Lasenby Liberty, the store began on Regent Street in 1875 selling coloured silks, but soon diversified into cashmere together with lacquerware, cloisonné enamel, oriental goods and then furniture, at which point the premises were expanded. Originated by the Fashion and Textile Museum the exhibition features more than 150 ensembles and accessories, the largest number of historic Liberty garments shown together since the company’s centenary in 1975. They range from an 1890s cape constructed from embroidered Chinese shawls, a 1930s Paul Poiret pink silk robe with embroidered neck, hem and sleeves, a late1960s Macedonia print dress similar to the one Yves Saint Laurent famously used, as well as high profile contemporary collaborations including Vivienne Westwood and international sports brand Nike. The presentation of the exhibition is chronological, and there are nine key sections: Introduction, A Dialogue with the East, Artistic Dressing, Fabric of Fashion, High Style at Liberty, Swinging Sixties, Seventies Nostalgia, Collaborations and Liberty today. The exhibition runs from October 9, 2015, until February 28, 2016.

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