Sunday 10 January 2016

Fashion and Textile Museum (London Museum #24)

This was a first visit for me to this museum on Bermondsey Street which is just behind London Bridge Station. This hot pink and orange building certainly stands out as you approach. The Mexican architect Ricardo Legorreto redesigned a converted warehouse in collaboration with Zandra Rhodes, the fashion designer and the Museum was opened in 2003. It is now owned by Newham College who run an academy in the building.

I went to the Museum to see the exhibition 'Liberty in Fashion' Arthur Lasenby Liberty began 140 years ago by supplying fashionable goods from the Far East. The company went on to design their own fabrics and fashions.  In 1925 he opened a store on Liberty's Store on Regents Street.


Here are some of the items in the exhibition. All the items are made from Liberty fabrics. This is a silk brocade evening coat dated 1920s


Ivory satin embroidered collar c.1895



This court dress(1907) was made by Liberty for the wife of the Attorney General. It was made from Spitalfields brocade shortly before the Spitalfields mills closed down and was worn to a ball at the Court of St James in 1907.

Kimono (1920s silk) which was the inspiration for the fabric design, irises and butterflies (seen in the frame behind the kimono).
























Jackets c1968



1970s floral print dress.

Recognise any of these styles?


The chic skirt and scarf look of the mid 1970s was made using the 'Bauhaus' print , one of Liberty's best known designs.









                                           













The Cunard print.




Liberty fabrics have also been used for shoe designs.





Nike trainers (2015)




The silk scarf is synonymous with the name Liberty. Over the years hundreds of different designs and colours have appeared on the scarves.
I have yet to own a Liberty silk scarf!
Sharing with Our World Tuesday


26 comments:

  1. Wow! There are some cool fabrics and designs here. Wonder how much those Nikes cost. :-)

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  2. Boy, some very colorful clothing!

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  3. Hello, so many beautiful fabrics and clothes. Lovely images! Have a happy new week!

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  4. Some beautiful items and fabrics. And yes I do remember some of those styles, I had a jacket similar to the 1960's ones.

    Diana

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    1. P.S. Thank you for your kind comment on my post about Claude.

      Diana

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  5. The embroidery on the kimono is so lovely. Yes, I do remember some of those dress styles from the '70s!

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  6. What an interesting museum! Love the detail of the beautiful hand work...

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  7. I could lose myself for hours in a museum like this!

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  8. First of all I love unexpected buildings such as this. Hot pink in London! The fabrics are stunning too - classy in the extreme.

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  9. Wow those gowns from hundred years ago are amazingly beautiful as are all the other exhibits.

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  10. Oh, I love those older gowns and throws and capes. I always feel that perhaps we have lost a lot of it over the years of fabric clothes.

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  11. Oh, I would love to see this, I like those fashion exhibitions. Liberty is famous for its colourful designs. The building suits very well to the fashion as well.

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  12. What exquisite beauty. The 1907 court dress designed for the wife of the Attorney General especially caught my eye. What a gorgeous bridal dress it could make even today!

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  13. I once had a pair of Nike trainers but they weren't a patch on my current £19.99 Aldi's.

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  14. So much beauty indeed!! I do love all of your pics -- as always!! And such fun ones, too!! Thanks for sharing!! Hope you have a great new week!! Enjoy!!

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  15. Wonderful tour of the Liberty museum and its gorgeous fabrics ~ I once had a liberty scarf ~ loved it ~

    Wishing you a Happy Week ~ ^_^

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  16. Very interesting - some of the silks and brocades from the earlier years are absolutely magnificent! Thanks for sharing.

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  17. Nice! I love the building in the second photo.

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  18. Nice exhibition ! I love Liberty house. Dominique has bought a fabric there and wanted to make a dress for herself, but the fabric is still in her wardrobe, lol ! I once bought a scarf.

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  19. Well, Girlfriend---you must buy a Liberty Silk Scarf sometime!!!!! GORGEOUS.... The Liberty designs and fabrics certainly were in the forefront of the fashion world... Love the brocades and silks---and all of the colors and designs.... Wonderful exhibit.

    Hugs,
    Betsy

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  20. Beautiful fabrics and designs,but I have to tell you that the cute Nike trainers were the only thing there that I wish I owned. (Yet another example of how overly-casual my life has become!).

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  21. I can remember going to Liberty store when I first moved to England. Loved it. That exhibition looks marvelous. Happy New Year to you!!!!

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  22. I can remember going to Liberty store when I first moved to England. Loved it. That exhibition looks marvelous. Happy New Year to you!!!!

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  23. Don't have one either. Loved looking at all f these styles!

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