Petals & Patterns:
Liberty London at 150
Petals & Patterns:
Liberty London at 150
A LEGACY OF GROUNDBREAKING FLORAL DESIGN
Gown from the Curated Floral Collection by Liberty, photographed by Vicki King; Butterfield Lichen illustration and moodboard, Botanical Atlas by Liberty Fabrics; Nayra pattern by Liberty
Below: Peony Parade, Hybrid, and Margaret Annie patterns by Liberty
As Liberty London celebrates its 150th anniversary in 2025, the brand stands as more than a heritage textile house—it’s a design institution that has redefined floral aesthetics through its creative compositions and bold hues.
For generations, Liberty’s iconic floral prints have influenced botanical styles and pattern design.
With an archive of more than 60,000 patterns and textiles, the brand’s revolutionary approach to design centers nature’s most famous muse—the flower—using color, dimension, and repetition to shape botanical forms and spark imagination.
From top: Nicole pattern, 1984, by David Haward, reworked from a design by Lindsay Butterfield, courtesy of Liberty; hanging garments by @finn_staygold; Strawberry Thief Teal Bed Linen from the Seasonal Home & Interiors Collection by Liberty
ROOTED IN
maximalist color
Founded in 1875 by Arthur Lasenby Liberty, the brand began as a Regent Street shop selling decorative wares and vegetable-dyed silks from Asia and the Middle East. While he wasn’t trained as a maker, Liberty was a skilled merchant in London’s West End who had a good eye for trends and compelling design.
He eventually began experimenting with dyeing and printing fabrics, and upon purchasing the Merton Print Works in 1904, the company began developing its own designs and vibrant textiles.
By the late 19th century, Liberty’s floral prints boldly blended Eastern and Western influences to create patterns that defied convention. Early silks and cottons were dyed in saturated hues inspired by nature and art, rejecting the muted palettes of Victorian fashion that were commonplace amongst other manufacturers. Liberty’s distinctive chromatic framework conveyed depth and movement through precise color layering and contrasting elements.
Collaborating with artists from the Arts & Crafts and Art Nouveau movements, Liberty’s design studio crafted patterns that fused botanical storytelling with radical color. The brand's ability to pair intricate florals with daring tints and hues became its visual signature — one that redefined the boundaries of traditional British textile design.
From top: Maud’s Posy and Fragile Blooms patterns by Liberty; advertisement from the New Gallery (London) Catalogue for Summer 1888; Liberty London flagship store exterior by Garry Knight. (CC by 2.0)
Below: Thorpe Tana Lawn™ cotton pattern by Liberty
flora & fauna
Liberty’s signature innovation came with the creation of Tana Lawn™ cotton in the early 20th century—a fabric that was inspired by East African cottons and named after Lake Tana in Ethiopia, where the long strands of its fiber originated. This finely woven, lightweight cotton combined the subtle sheen of silk with the durability and breathability of cotton.
Tana Lawn™ provided the perfect canvas for Liberty’s intricate color printing techniques, enabling the brand to hone the clarity and vibrancy of its patterns. With this innovative approach, the company was able to capture organic forms and precise botanical details while infusing them with luminous color.
TABLEAUX INSPIRED BY
Iconic
PATTERNS
Among the thousands of designs in Liberty’s archive, multiple floral prints have become instantly recognizable icons that are beloved by generations of floral enthusiasts. From riotous poppies to flowing lotus flowers, some of its most well-known patterns are botanical motifs. Prints like Betsy, Wiltshire, Thorpe, and Margaret Annie stand out not only for their wild flora, but for creative color combinations bring a burst of joy into every setting.
Betsy, designed in the 1930s and one of Liberty’s all-time bestsellers, features a dense, playful scatter of small blooms, with multiple colorways in nearly every color of the rainbow. Wiltshire, created in 1933, showcases a tangle of tendrils and blooms that lends itself to bold, tonal palettes as well as contrasting tints.
Originally designed in the 1960s — but inspired by the painterly style of classic Liberty florals from the 1930s — Thorpe is a vibrant print with a dense arrangement of tiny, multi-colored flowers that blend together. It features no visible background — every inch is filled with overlapping blossoms in bold, saturated hues that often include tones like ruby red, cobalt blue, coral, magenta, and golden yellow, creating an pointillist-like effect from a distance. And proving small florals can still vibrate with color, Margaret Annie (2013) is a kaleidoscopic explosion of bold oranges, blues, yellows, and greens.
From top: Strawberry Thief, Ciara, and Margaret-Annie patterns by Liberty
Below: Averie pattern by Liberty
These prints are just a few of the thousands of designs that highlight Liberty’s interplay of hues: bright blues contrasting fiery poppy reds, radiant citrus-toned oranges balanced by moody lilacs, deep emerald greens paired with soft pastels, and warm mustard yellows offset by rich purples. This layering of complementary and contrasting shades, combined with an innovative use of contrast, rhythm, and scale, amplifies the visual impact.
What distinguishes Liberty florals is not just their artistry, but the visual intensity of their color palettes. A Liberty print draws attention with tonal depth and vibrancy, even in the smallest motifs. While many traditional English florals lean toward muted tones, Liberty’s luminous palettes create a dynamic visual experience.
Whether densely packed or generously spaced, the color combinations of its bloom-filled prints create atmosphere and become a narrative tool. Bright primary tones set against dark backgrounds feel cinematic; pastel blooms on soft cotton invoke imagination and daydreams.
Crafting the classic
LIBERTY LOOK
Later, designers including Harry Napper and Winifred Mold of the Silver Studio, a prolific design collective, created intricate Art Nouveau and Deco-style blooming patterns for Liberty, many of which were defined by rhythmic layouts and vibrant, unexpected palettes. Designers like Althea McNish brought a modern, painterly sensibility to the brand’s botanical prints in the 1950s and 1960s.
In the ‘80s and ’90s, pattern designers like Mary Jane Baxter helped reimagine Liberty florals for a new generation, updating color stories with a fresh, expressive energy. While each designer brought a unique vision, all shared Liberty’s devotion to color as a language — one that speaks not only of style, but of mood, memory, and emotion.
Liberty’s distinctive aesthetic is the product of a lineage of visionary designers who have shaped its archive over the decades. While many of its patterns were created by unknown designers, early collaborators like William Morris, whose Strawberry Thief remains one of the most iconic patterns in Liberty’s catalog, brought a philosophy of beauty through nature and craftsmanship. In the early 20th century, Lindsay Butterfield and C.F.A. Voysey introduced flowing, abstract florals that broke with rigid Victorian symmetry and embraced stylized naturalism.
From top: pattern by CFA Voysey; Althea McNish Akarana pink pattern by Liberty.
Below: Clementina Daisy pattern by Liberty.
“I was determined
not to follow existing fashions
but to create new ones.”
- Arthur Lasenby Liberty
PLAYING WITH
scale & dimension
In a fashion world once dominated by modest, evenly spaced floral motifs, Liberty introduced a radical new vision by experimenting with scale. Rather than relying on uniform repeats, Liberty’s designers began layering florals of varying sizes to create dynamic, high-impact compositions. Patterns like Elysian Day, Ciara, and Thorpe mix tight clusters of micro-blooms with sweeping botanical elements, generating movement and rhythm across the fabric.
In larger-scale prints such as Emma and Georgina XL and Zennor Arbour, oversized petals and leaves are offset by intricate detailing, resulting in complex visual textures that shift as the garment moves. This interplay between scale—macro versus micro, dense versus airy—allows Liberty prints to function as more than surface design: by pushing the boundaries of proportion and composition, the brand transformed florals from static motifs into vibrant, fashion-forward statements.
Above: Prospect Flower pattern by Liberty; Gown from the Curated Floral Collection by Liberty, photographed by Vicki King.
“Liberty is full of possibility, a magical place with an enchanting spirit to innovate and a heritage that embraces integrity and authenticity. It's this that inspires the Liberty fashion brand.”
- Mary-Ann Dunkley, Design Director of Liberty Fabrics & Products
Decorative displays
Liberty’s window displays have also become legendary for their theatrical flair and botanical extravagance — true visual spectacles that transform retail into high art and break with convention to create worlds of their own.
Known for blending storytelling with botanical fantasy, Liberty’s visual merchandising team regularly collaborates with inventive florists and installation artists to create elaborate floral tableaux.
During springtime festivals and events, the windows have featured everything from suspended flower chandeliers and moss-covered mannequins to entire garden vignettes complete with hedgerows and trellises. Their displays embody the brand’s belief that flower-filled prints are not just decorative, but also transformative.
Top & bottom images: Leslie Archard (CC 2.0); middle image: Traveljunction (CC by 2.0); background: Eustacia Tana Lawn pattern by Liberty.
Florals in the wild
Liberty’s blooming aesthetic isn’t confined to fabrics in indoor settings — it’s also flourished in the public eye through botanical storefronts and floral installations. Over the years, the brand has transformed its iconic Tudor storefront on London’s Great Marlborough Street into a both a flower shop and a living garden, especially during high-profile events like the Chelsea Flower Show.
Liberty’s immersive outdoor displays — from overflowing window boxes to entire façades draped in blooms — draw crowds and bring the store’s floral identity to life with street-side bouquets, pop-up gardens, and interactive installations that blur the line between art, nature, and retail. These experiences capture the spirit of Liberty florals beyond the fabric bolt — joyful, expressive, and designed to stop people in their tracks.
Botanical
CULTURE & COUTURE
In the 1960s and ’70s, Liberty florals became symbolic of counterculture, embraced for their dual nature — dainty yet defiant, ornate yet organic. A Liberty blouse in wildflower pinks and acid greens wasn’t just fashion; it was a form of self-expression. As designers like Mary Quant and Vivienne Westwood mined Liberty’s archives, they found colorways that refused to conform. Liberty became a visual shorthand for individuality — proof that a small-scale floral could pack cultural punch.
From ready-to-wear to haute couture, these iconic patterned fabrics have been reinterpreted by some of the world’s most influential designers on runways around the world. Arnold Scaasi created billowy feminine dresses with Liberty patterns, Cacharel used its florals in gorgeous images shot by French photographer Sarah Moon, and Yves Saint Laurent famously incorporated the brand’s prints into flowing bohemian dresses in the 1970s. The Beatles wore Liberty prints, as did David Bowie as part of his iconic Ziggy Stardust costuming, further cementing the brand’s place in pop culture history.
Liberty has also been the muse of contemporary designers and brands including Dries Van Noten, Gucci, Marc Jacobs, and Chloé, all of whom have explored the expressive patterns of Liberty's archive, using prints like Wiltshire and Capel in tailored blazers, romantic dresses, and hybrid streetwear pieces. These runway moments underscore how Liberty’s color-saturated florals can shift effortlessly from heritage textile to high fashion.
“As always, I show many lovely silk prints. Some of the most exciting are from Liberty of London, and are inspired by the Art Nouveau period. Poppy or lotus designs dance across the silk combining great swirls of colors like pink, turquoise and yellow or perhaps white and fuchsia with blue.”
-Arnold Scaasi, The Philadelphia Inquirer, May 8, 1961
From top: Mauvey pattern by Liberty; Vivienne Westwood by Mattia Passeri (CC by SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons); 1978 Melbourne newspaper ads by mat78au; Myrtle Mary Tana Lawn pattern by Liberty; Nell Annie May Tana Lawn pattern by Liberty; Mary Quant by Jack de Nijs for Anefo / Anefo (CC0 via Wikimedia Commons); Regency Petals Tana Lawn pattern by Liberty; David Bowie by Boris Yaro (CC by 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons)
Royalty in bloom
Liberty London’s legacy of design innovation has also captured the admiration of the British Royal Family for generations. From the early 20th century onward, Liberty fabrics have been favored by royals for their elegance, craftsmanship, and quintessentially British charm. Queen Mary was known to visit the Liberty store, and the brand’s silks and cottons were often used in garments for royal children.
In more recent years, Kate Middleton, the Princess of Wales, has been spotted wearing Liberty prints both in high-profile public appearances and in off-duty moments — often choosing timeless florals like Betsy or Capel for their graceful femininity and understated boldness. Liberty’s unique balance of heritage and innovation has not only had an enduring role in shaping British style, as American royalty was also smitten with the brand’s prints: Jaqueline Kennedy Onassis was rumored to have had throw pillows sewn from her collection of Liberty scarves.
Clementina Daisy pattern by Liberty
Indoor botanical
WONDERLANDS
Liberty florals have moved far beyond the domestic sphere, too, making bold statements in some of the world’s most design-forward public interiors. From boutique hotels to stylish cafés, Liberty prints have been used not just as nostalgic accents, but as contemporary design elements that add vibrancy and texture to interior spaces.
In the Whitby Hotel and the Crosby Street Hotel in New York, Liberty textiles appear on furniture, cushions, and wallcoverings, blending British heritage with bold contemporary styling. Custom Liberty lounge furnishings grace the Calile Hotel in Brisbane, and in the Hotel Henriette in Paris, the brand’s florals are paired with eclectic vintage pieces. Even in commercial spaces like the Conran Shop in Tokyo and Café Kitsuné in Seoul, Liberty prints are used in limited-edition collaborations and spatial accents, proving that these iconic florals resonate across cultures.
In 2014, House of Hackney brought its signature maximalist style to Liberty’s Regent Street flagship via a shop‑in‑shop takeover, showcasing rich floral chintz, bold botanical wallpapers, and vibrant textiles. The collaboration fused House of Hackney’s painterly, eccentric florals teeming with lush foliage with Liberty’s iconic aesthetic, transforming the space into an immersive garden-meets-gallery experience.
Grand Thorpe Liberty Interiors by James Merrill
A living archive
Liberty’s 60,000+ print design archive is definitely not a museum — it’s a living garden filled with innovative takes on its classic patterns.
New collections are born through reinterpretation — historic prints are reimagined with modern palettes, and the brand’s in-house artists continually reinvent its flower-forward designs by drawing from centuries-old block prints, hand-painted patterns, and botanical studies.
Recent releases have featured surreal botanicals in electric fuchsia, tropical hybrids with sunset hues, and abstract florals that verge on the fantastical. Whether dreamy or electric, color remains the starting point, guiding the form and emotional tone of each print.
In spring 2025, the brand opened an archival exhibition in its London flagship store called I am. We are. Liberty., an homage to its 150 years of collaborative fabric design. Curated by art historian Ester Coen, the show features more than 300 pieces, pattern books, artifacts, and rare prints. Following its run through the summer, it’s traveling next to Osaka, Japan.
“The archive is a living document of artistic expression — from the designers and makers who contributed to it, to the people who wore, lived with, and loved it. You step into a world of colour, imagination, and invention that continues to evolve today.”
- Ester Coen, art historian
Above: Clementina pattern and Amberley Furnishing Fabric by Liberty
Below: Poppy Daisy and Windrush (William Morris) by Liberty.
PATTERNED ICONS:
Honoring Liberty’s impact
Liberty’s verdant patterns have also earned a place in the world’s most respected art & design institutions. Museums such as the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, the Art Institute of Chicago, the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, and the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris have featured Liberty textiles in exhibitions exploring decorative arts, pattern history, and textile innovation.
These collections often showcase early Arts & Crafts–era prints, Art Nouveau botanicals, and modern interpretations of classic florals, underscoring Liberty’s influence across movements and decades. Displayed alongside works by William Morris, C.F.A. Voysey, and other iconic artists, Liberty patterns are recognized not just as commercial fabric designs, but as enduring contributions to modern design.
Reimagining florals
for a new generation
Liberty has consistently worked with both established and emerging artists, inviting them to reimagine what a floral print can be. This flexibility has made its florals relevant across generations and markets. Over the years, collaborations with brands like Dr. Martens, A.P.C., Manolo Blahnik, Target, and J. Crew, have pushed Liberty’s patterns into unexpected territories — from sneakers and outdoor jackets to beach accessories and eveningwear.
Collaborations like these have ensured that Liberty’s aesthetic remains contemporary, not quaint. A Liberty floral can feel romantic or radical, depending on how it’s used. Other modern brands including Adidas, Vans, Gucci, Puma, UNIQLO, and TOMS have all created collections with Liberty botanicals. Whether on silk charmeuse, crisp cotton, or even tech fabrics for brands like Nike and The North Face, the prints retain their distinctiveness and luminosity, transforming silhouettes into works of wearable art.
“Liberty is the chosen resort
of the artistic shopper.”
-Oscar Wilde
Looking ahead:
Liberty in full bloom
As Liberty celebrates 150 years, the brand is honoring its roots, but it isn't just looking backward — it continues to launch limited-edition prints, exhibitions, and artist collaborations that continue to push floral design into new spaces.
In an era of algorithmic design and disposable fashion, Liberty’s color-driven florals are a powerful reminder of how design can be expanded into unexpected places. They’re pieces of cultural identity, stitched in color, that transform traditional floral motifs into an exuberant, high-energy statements — bold, modern, and unmistakably Liberty.
Previous section: Pomegranate Garden Lacquer House pattern by Liberty
Above: Photo of Liberty pattern swatches by Erin Singleton (CC by 2.0)
Our favorite Liberty looks
From blossoming clothing and vibrant accessories to bold bursts of color in the home, we’re fans of Liberty blooms in every format…
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