A wedding has been announced; on September 7th, 2009 a dynastic marriage will take place between the iconic design houses of Hermès and Liberty. And, for a blissful six week period, they will happily co-exist when Hermès sets up a temporary boutique in Liberty’s scarf room. As any Hollywood starlet could tell you, these marriages never last – although this particular union will be blessed by a limited edition collection of scarves and ties.
The neckwear will feature Liberty’s classic Tana Lawn floral fabric screen printed with either Hermès’ ‘Ex Libris’ design or their equally distinctive horseshoe. It’s a timeless pairing; when Sir Arthur Lazenby Liberty founded his namesake store in 1875, Hermès had been creating luxury harnesses and bridles for 38 years (though they wouldn’t introduce their first carré, or scarf, until 1937). Liberty became well known for their “art fabrics”, patterns that became synonymous with the Aesthetic Movement and art nouveau, while Hermès continued to be associated with opulence.
The focus of the temporary space, however, will be fun, and not unattainable luxury. Designed to resemble an over-sized dressing up box, visitors will be encouraged to experiment with scarf wearing thanks to weekly activities and in-store stylists. All in all, it’s a unique way to “tie the knot”.
