The Love Stories That Started at Liberty

Steeped in nostalgia, imbued in fond memories and perhaps one of the most special places in the whole of London, is it really any wonder why so many love stories start at Liberty? This Valentine’s Day, join us as we take a somewhat voyeuristic look at tales of those who have found love among our great Tudor Halls.

That’s what’s so great about Liberty – it’s the people, first and foremost. Yes, we have beautiful products and an iconic building to work in but, ultimately, it’s the people we spend our time with here that make the difference. We do, after all, spend more time at work than at home, so that sort of thing really matters. It’s also why people stay here for so long. I consider many of my colleagues, past and present, genuine friends – that’s rare!

It's unlikely we could have met anywhere other than Liberty – in fact, as I later found out, our ‘meet cute’ was actually a set-up that I was oblivious to at the time! I was friends with the counter manager at the time and she was insistent that it was me who conducted the store approval – even though it wasn’t strictly in my remit. She raved about this candidate and seemed particularly urgent about getting it done and that I would be the best person to conduct the meeting. There followed a slightly awkward three months with nervous encounters where we both danced around the topic before eventually I bit the bullet and asked him out for a drink. And the rest is history…

Irene: Because our laptops were not ready, we had to keep in touch. And as I was more tech-savvy than my colleague, I was the one always messaging Kai asking questions and that’s how we got to know each. My first impression of Kai was that he was very quiet; he knew what he was doing, and he liked to keep himself to himself. But every time I asked him for IT help, he was always very helpful. Then he opened up a little more and started making jokes. And because I’m Italian and he loves Italian football, we started joking about that.

Kai: I support Juventus, so the first question I asked; Do you watch Italian football? Do you support Inter Milan? Since I dislike Inter Milan. How could I be friends with an Inter fan! I meet all kinds of people through work, but I never thought I’d meet someone I’d later form a connection with. At the start it was very casual, friendly, but there was definite chemistry.

Irene: I found out he was a web developer and at the time I needed help with my website, so I asked him if he could help me, and we did that outside of work, so that was how our friendship left the walls of Liberty. It was just natural talking with him. I didn’t think anything of it at first, we were just friends, I didn’t think it would become a relationship. I wasn’t expecting it. It was around nine months after that first meeting that we became a couple. We only started dating in January 2023, but have been married for two weeks now. Yes, it’s been incredibly quick. But you get to a point where you know when it’s right, so there’s no point waiting around.

Kai: That was our Islamic wedding, the Nikkah, but we have the wedding reception separately next year which will be a fusion between Italian and Asian. I’m Extremely grateful to Liberty for bringing us together. I’ve never worked anywhere where there’s been so much collaboration between different teams and departments more than at Liberty, it’s a wonderful family-like environment. You can converse with anyone here; everyone is very friendly and supportive, it’s a joy to work here.

Irene: What’s great is we often travel to work together or have lunch together if our breaks allow which is nice due to our hectic and varying schedules.

Kai: A lot of people think she gets IT favours, but actually, she doesn’t. That is only because I know she will be more understanding If I help others first.

Irene: In fact, he’s taught me how to fix a few issues on the shop floor myself, so I don’t need to keep asking him for help.