Into the Archive: The Print Stories Behind Liberty LBTY. Fragrance
Launched in 2023, the Liberty LBTY. fragrance collection is an homage to some of the most iconic prints from our archive
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Into the Archive: The Print Stories Behind Liberty LBTY. Fragrance
Launched in 2023, the Liberty LBTY. fragrance collection is an homage to some of the most iconic prints from our archive
Who doesn’t dream of getting lost in the Liberty archive? A treasure trove of design history from the past 150 years, it is home to thousands of prints and artefacts that trace the work of some of the world’s greatest designers and illustrators. Whilst you might not be able to access the archive itself, the team behind Liberty LBTY. fragrance have teamed up with some of the perfume industry’s finest noses to bring eight classic prints to life in fragrance form. Here, we explore the ones that inspired each scent.
Vine Thief
The newest fragrance from the Liberty LBTY. assortment, Vine Thief has a mischievous ‘youngest sibling’ energy. This might have something to do with the fact that the print design represents Dionysus, the Greek God known for his hedonistic ways. As the God of wine and fertility, he is often represented with scenes of feasts and revelry. This print was redrawn from a design unearthed in the Liberty archive. It features an Arts and Crafts style layout strewn with tiny stylised florals, garden birds, and an abundance of trailing grapes and vines.
Shop Vine ThiefIanthe Oud
One half of the Oud duo, Ianthe Oud is a rich, woody scent inspired by the classic Ianthe print. The print was originally designed in 1902 by French artists René Beauclair, who intended it to be as a wallpaper border. Fast forward to 1967, the print was revived for Liberty as part of the decade’s revival of Art Nouveau styles, notable for their sinuous, stylised layout of curling lines and delicate flowers. The print became a Swinging Sixties hit, and in 1986, Ianthe cemented its place amongst the Liberty print icons, becoming part of the timeless Tana Classics collection.
Shop Ianthe OudHera Reigns
Oud is one of the oldest fragrance ingredients in the world, so it makes sense that the second fragrance in the LBTY. Oud duo, Hera Reigns, is based on one of the older prints in the Liberty archive. The Hera print is credited to a design by Arthur Silver, the founder of Silver Studio - one of the most influential textile studios in the UK, founded in 1880. The Hera print was first printed onto Liberty furnishing fabrics, and features a peacock feather - a popular symbol during the Aesthetic Movement of the 1880s. It’s also a nod to the Greek Goddess Hera, whose sacred animal is the peacock.
Shop Hera ReignsTudor
Evoking Liberty’s iconic flagship, the Tudor fragrance is actually inspired by a print called ‘Merchant’. The ornamental design is inspired by Ikat, a dyeing technique from South East Asia and India that Liberty founder Arthuer Lasenby would have encountered on his travels. The Merchant print was redrawn from a large scale Liberty archive artwork from the 1980s. The Ikat style features geometric and decorative shapes, which overlap and merge to create a tapestry effect, evoking the sense of discovery when wandering through the Liberty halls.
Shop TudorAdelphi Sun
This warm, verdant scent is an interpretation of the stunning Adelphi Voyage print, which was inspired by the combination of two hand-painted shawl designs created for Liberty in the 19th Century. Meticulously drawn by hand, the Adelphi Voyage print depicts a luscious paisley rainforest of tropical palms, feathery leaves and fern fronds. Echoing the print, the fragrance evokes a warm glasshouse bathed in sun, bursting with flowers and plants.
Shop Adelphi SunZephirine
Zephirine is inspired by the Eden’s Awakening print, which was adapted from the famous ‘Peacock Garden’ wallpaper design. Peacock Garden was created in 1889 Arts and Crafts wallpaper design created by Walter Crane, an English designer, painter and illustrator beloved for his illustrations of children’s books. The print was reworked in the 1960s and then again in the 1980s, and features majestic peacocks surrounded by scrolling acanthus leaves and stylised tulips.
Shop ZephirineWild Rosinda
This bountiful fragrance is made in response to the Decadent Blooms print, one of the more recent designs in the Liberty archive. It was reworked for the AW18 collection from a design made for a furnishing fabric in 1989, inspired by a painting unearthed in the Liberty archive. The print features large, bountiful blooms of roses, peonies and forget-me-nots, which led perfumer Honorine Blanc to create a scent around a heart note of Bulgarian Rose. Like the print, the fragrance is bold, yet delicate.
Shop Wild RosindaLiberty Maze
This charming, floral fragrance takes its character from a classic 1970s Liberty print bearing clusters of blossom and citrus fruits. Created in 1976 for a seasonal furnishing collection, the Liberty Maze print is characteristic of the whimsical, free-spirited style of the decade. When designing the corresponding fragrance, perfumer Gabriela Chelariu said she had “the imperfect beauty of English gardens” in mind.
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