Fred Perry x Liberty London
Fred Perry Japan’s 2013 Spring Summer collection will expand to include a range of bespoke garments faithfully recreating the printed patterns made famous by the Liberty brand.
Liberty of London is a British department store that rose to prominence selling ornaments, fabric and objets d’art from Japan and the East. Shortly after the Liberty shop opened on Regent Street in 1875, Arthur Liberty printed the first of the soon to be famous Liberty Silks. Imported from India, the Mysore silk was dyed in England and then hand-printed with wooden blocks. Liberty’s main goal for his store “was to combine utility and good taste with modest cost.” leading to a highly successful combination of art and industry. Liberty himself said that his store aimed for “the production of useful and beautiful objects at prices within the reach of all classes”. In 1904 Liberty took over a print works that specialised in block-printed silks just up-river from William Morris’ works in Merton. It is because of this print works that the company still has such a large textile archive, which has such a unique style to it.
Fred Perry’s latest collaboration with this world renowned brand is true to Liberty’s ideals of good taste and modest cost, whilst adding a floral splash to your summer outfits. The collection can be pre-ordered online now from the Fred Perry website and will be available in the stores from mid-February.
Words: Mark Birtles
Translation: Iona Nagata
February 3, 2013
