This autumn, William Morris Gallery in Walthamstow will present Women in Print: 150 Years of Liberty Textiles. Conceived in partnership with Liberty Fabrics on the occasion of the design house’s 150th anniversary, this major exhibition will highlight the pivotal role and contributions of women textile designers. Tracing the rich history of Liberty fabrics, the exhibition will survey the evolving influence and status of women in textiles over the past 150 years. Women in Print will bring together iconic patterns by female designers, alongside previously overlooked names, celebrating how women have been — and continue to be — at the heart of Liberty’s creative innovations and ongoing relevance today. It will feature over 100 works, spanning garments, fabric, original designs, film and historic photographs.

Founded in 1875, Liberty began as an importer of textiles and objets d’art from the Middle East and Asia before designing its own fabrics — its floral patterns soon becoming synonymous with British design. The exhibition will foreground some of the ways that Liberty has become a household name, from its distinctive ‘Tudorbethan’ storefront, shown in a 1975 design for a scarf by Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell, to Liberty fabric being used for both high street and bespoke fashion. Highlights will include a BIBA trouser suit, a 1978 wedding dress, patchworked in 17 separate Liberty prints, and a contemporary Kandoora (Mukhawar), featuring a design created by current Liberty Head of Design Polly Mason, embellished in beadwork by UAE-based company Colorful Line.

Alongside its links to international design, the design house was also influenced by the British Arts and Crafts Movement of the late 19th century. Drawing inspiration from the natural world and traditionally ‘feminine’ handicrafts, the Movement provided a gateway for women to move from unpaid domestic work to paid design careers. Pioneers like Ann Macbeth, who taught at the Glasgow School of Art, were employed by Liberty. She played a key role in modernising embroidery designs, some of which were later adapted for print. This pivotal transition from stitch to surface design will be explored through rare loans from Liberty’s archive, including early embroidery catalogues and a 1900s pattern book showing how original needlework motifs were transformed into printed textiles.

Growing political, educational and employment opportunities around the time of the First World War opened doors for women to enter professional textile design, and by the 1930s, nearly half of Britain’s textile designers were women. Despite their growing presence, many remained uncredited for their patterns. Women in Print will aim to restore the names of designers to their work, focusing on five designers — Jessie M. King, Lucienne Day, Althea McNish, Mrs Stonely, and Madeleine Lawrence. Whilst Day, who played a key role in modernising textiles for post-war interiors, and McNish, celebrated for her innovative use of colour, enjoy relative fame, others such as the elusive Mrs Stonely remain largely unrecognised.

A new film, combining archival and contemporary footage as well as interviews with designers will offer an insight into the stories of women who have created Liberty fabrics — giving a voice to the designs that continue to shape the industry today.

Women in Print is part of William Morris Gallery’s 75th anniversary programme. Curated by Rowan Bain, Principal Curator of Collections and Programme and Roisin Inglesby, Curator, William Morris Gallery, with exhibition design by Simon Milthorp, Lai Couto, and Scarlet Winter.