Shopping in Liberty

4/6/2014

In London, UK, the abundance of shopping spots is like none other. Central London is lined with world-famous chain stores and department stores, but this particular department store on Regent Street was called “the chosen resort of the artistic shopper” by renowned writer Oscar Wilde. It was also where legendary shoe-designer Manolo Blahnik’s mother bought fabrics to make outfits for him.

Photos by Liberty Doc.

Liberty Department Store is an emporium of eclectic and beautifully curated collections of luxury items. With her Edwardian house facade instead of the usual glossy, minimalistic décor, it’s not hard to believe Liberty has a rich heritage and history behind her. Before she became an unrivalled department store that she is, Liberty started when Arthur Liberty acquired half a store to sell silk in 1875. Now, Liberty stretches from Regent Street, with most of her facing the Great Malborough Street.

Designed with influences from the Tudor London era, from the outside Liberty resembles a strip of houses in the streets of Amsterdam that are tightly pressed against one another. Architects Edwin Thomas Hall and his son designed the Elizabethan-style store as such for her to look like a series of shops. The oak and timber used on the exterior décor were taken from aged two-decker sailing ships from the 1800s, while the stonework is from London’s traditional quarry in Portland. The handiwork for the façade included the carvings that were made on site, and the handmade roof tiles. A model of a Mayflower ship from gilded copper sits atop the building’s main entrance.

Entering from this entrance, visitors travel through a patio of flowers where Liberty’s florists are located. Through the small double doors and they will find themselves looking up to the four-floor foyer. The wooden accent still continues to the store’s interior, but an ornate pastel chandelier drizzles down from the ceiling, refreshing the vicinity from the dominating wooden floorings and finishing. Liberty’s layout within represents that of a compact mall with a homey feeling. The absence of grand staircases and massive LCDs flashing with catwalk footage gives a rather exclusive shopping experience in a more personal setting. Stairs are tucked away by the sides, or behind doors, creating wells that are visible from the outside, yet navigating is still done with ease.

Liberty’s diverse collection of fashion items from Christian Lacroix scarves to Burberry coats to Fornasetti plates while the services range from a posh grooming service for the gents and afternoon tea for the ladies. Either way, one can spend hours in what once used to be a three-man petite store, to what Londoners now known as Liberty.

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Natasha Gan
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Natasha is a writer and a digital marketing professional currently based in Toronto, Canada.