Prints please

There is a bit of blurring that occurs in a fashion collaboration. In the right hands, all the dabbling and the mixing result in something fantastic, a cool hybrid that is definitely more than the sum of its parts. The fanciful play between global accessories brand Herschel Supply and storied fashion retailer Liberty of London is a prime example.

The initial offering of women’s silhouettes combines selected Liberty archival prints such as the Donna Leigh—inspired by a design from the late 1700s, combining a rich background with contrasting watercolor painted flowers—and the Deborah, an Art Nouveau print inspired by an early Merton Abbey Mills pattern book, with Herschel Supply’s new Ware, Hanson and Dawson backpacks. Crafted from lightweight, soft-touch fabrics with slender adjustable straps, the bags are trimmed with traditional vegetable tanned leather and polished silver-tone hardware.

The two brands share something in common: a history rooted in travel. Arthur Lasenby Liberty founded Liberty & Co. in 1875 as a venue to sell ornaments and objets d’art from Japan and the Far East. The department store—one of the most recognizable in Central London, just off Regent Street, with mock Tudor beams adorning the exterior—became the most fashionable place to shop in the British capital. Its signature fabrics were used for both clothing and furnishings by its loyal clientele, which included Irish playwright Oscar Wilde and English painter Frederick Leighton.

Herschel Supply Co., meanwhile, is committed to manufacturing the finest quality backpacks, bags, travel goods and accessories. Based in Vancouver, Canada, the company was established in 2009 by brothers Jamie and Lyndon Cormack. The siblings adopted the name of the small town in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan where three generations of their family, originally from Wick, Scotland, were raised.

Neither Liberty nor Herschel is a stranger to collaborations. Designers such as Jean Muir, Mary Quant and Yves Saint Laurent, whose first maxi skirt was in the Macedonia print, have used Liberty fabrics in the past. The British icon has also worked with Nike, Dr.Martens, Vans, Supreme, and Fred Perry. Herschel Supply, on the other hand, has launched capsule collections with Mark McNairy, Beams, Stüssy and New Balance.

Blending iconic artistry with practical elegance, the Herschel Supply for Liberty of London Collection is available at Herschel Supply Co. boutiques in SM Megamall, SM Aura, SM North Edsa The Annex, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma and Ayala Cebu and will be available exclusively in-store and online at liberty.co.uk starting March 23rd.