Liberty Archives - Northern California Style

It’s been a crazy summer, but I made time last week to get to San Francisco to report on the Liberty Pop-In at Nordstrom in San Francisco. My friend Jeanne and I appreciate all things British and especially Liberty, so we couldn’t miss this special event.

Liberty of London, for those unfamiliar, is the most fabulous London department store. It’s shaped like a wooden sailing ship and is the purveyor of all things beautiful and British. What makes it unique is their Liberty Art Fabrics line which is available in clothing, bags, home goods, scarves, china and much more. Liberty has had a huge revival lately and some of their iconic florals have been in Nike, J.Crew, and even the Vans shoes collections. This collaboration with Nordstrom is their latest.

These photos are from my trip two years ago to London. I could not go to London without a trip to Liberty. I always get a tote bag and have even bought sheets which were wonderful. More recently I added blouses and a blazer made from Liberty prints at J.Crew and they are some of my favorite items I own.

Another thing that makes Liberty so special is their unique half-timbered building which was once part of a sailing ship. It’s a must see and has something for everyone from little household things, travel goodies, china, scarves, handbags and even a floral shop. The store is 140 years old and began as a importer and eventually began creating their own line of fabrics. Those fabrics now comprise an amazing archive of 43,000 prints to which new ones are constantly being added.

The Nordstrom blog has some great little posts and interviews with Liberty and how they stay relevant while still maintaining their one of a kind department store. I loved the video links too so check them out if you are a Liberty lover!

This little clip was particularly fascinating about how Liberty’s team creates new textile designs each season. It truly is sometimes found flowers, branches and leaves! This shows how they evolve into a print. This makes me wish I went into textile design. What a wonderfully creative place to work!

This is the first time the same Liberty goods that are sold in their store are available stateside.

Jeanne and I in front of the boutique….Don’t you love the floor?
(Feeling like we should have worn florals!)

From the curated collection at Nordstrom these are our favorites..

How fantastic is this robe? They actually refer to it as a kimono.

The robes and pajamas felt amazing and are made of a proprietary cotton from Africa that only Liberty uses. It feels like silk and is cooling to the skin- perfect for sleep!

Ballet flats by London Sole. I’d love the blue with distressed jeans for fall.

Jeanne ended up with this pair trimmed with a cherry blossom silk floral.

How pretty is the back detail? I’d wear this with white jeans.
So cute on her.

The teapots and china were beautiful too.

Gardener goodies

There were tea towels, napkins and aprons to give your kitchen life a little flair.

This tea towel is one of my favorite prints, Strawberry Thief I think. Navy and pink are perfect!

There were also serving trays, plates and little dishes in a plastic versions of The Flowers of Liberty, which are perfect for outdoor entertaining, or small children!

Candles, sachets and sleep masks filled with dreamy lavender would make sweet gifts.

The birdhouses were very popular! Wouldn’t this be a charming housewarming idea?

Desk accessories were tempting…I wanted these pencils for my blue desk and I know a few young girls who would love them for their fall backpacks!

It’s a lucky child that gets a Liberty tent! As a kid I would have given my…Well, let’s just say you would be one step closer to ‘glamping’ with this! I already have a celestial baby blue sleeping bag..
Seriously though, wouldn’t this be awesome in a play room as well as in the great outdoors?

These bracelets had charms with ribbons made of Liberty fabrics.

The watches were fun and I loved this navy print!

This watch was to be tied on! Super cute.

These hair clip fabric flowers would looks chic on a lapel like my jean blazer. Can’t you just see it as the perfect little compliment to a sundress and tucked in to a knot in your hair?

I really loved these wrap bracelets with bee charms too.

After much deliberation, I took home pretty pitcher I knew I’d enjoy with fresh flowers in my kitchen.

Isn’t it lovely? I will treasure it.

I also bought a floral hair clip as I am loving teals and turquoise colors right now.

The collection is also online, click on over to see the Pop-In boutique.

When you buy something you get to take home this darling tote. The Flowers of Liberty in the Union Jack design are unique to this collaboration I believe!

Remember if you are up in San Francisco, the Pop-In at Nordstrom San Francisco Centre runs until August 2…

Tomorrow I’ll share some of the other spots to hit on a summer day in the city!

May the florals be with you!! 😉

Kim

photos NorthernCalStyle except Liberty building courtesy of Nordstrom.

Those of you who read this blog regularly know I’m an unabashed Anglomaniac. Is that a word? Well it’s fitting for a girl like me who lives for visits to England. I ask you, what is not to love about a country filled with tiny thatched cottages, ancient castles, fabulous gardens, tea and scones and everything beautiful and romantic? I’m in my element there and so was thrilled to get another chance to visit even if it was just for four days.

I had a list so long of things to see and do that I actually needed a few months. I squeezed all the English culture I could into myself along with Pimms cups, scones, and clotted cream. Running about trying to see all I could may have prevented me from coming home 10 pounds heavier. Getting squished in the Tube doors a few times may have helped as well. 🙁

Typical arrival into Heathrow…

Right away I am hit with why London is a fabulous place…Just look at the cool Tube posters for summer exhibitions that I didn’t have time to see!

By the way if you haven’t been to London yet, let me say the Tube is the way to get around. So easy and safe and really makes London a breeze. Just make sure you pay attention to where you are getting off to connect. I started to get a bit relaxed and just let my husband do all the navigating until one stop where I got on with one son, but the he and another son didn’t make it through the doors. The doors close fast…The look of horror on my face and my, “Oh no!” was enough to make the whole train chuckle.

I love how nice people are on the Tube and in general in the U.K. Luckily, I saw my husband throw up 2 fingers just as we were taking off and so I knew to get off after two stops for the next connection. I also got stuck in the door once. Not an uncommon occurrence during crazy times. My boys loved the Tube and the challenge of navigating it.

One look at this snap I took of this cute couple should tell you it wasn’t summery weather when we arrived. Yes it was June. You never know what to expect. Last time I was in London they had the hottest summer in 40 years!

I was grateful to have my pashmina wrap (a blanket basically), I take on planes with me to use as a shield against the wind. Silly me packing dresses, skirts, and 3 pairs of sandals! What a California girl. Like I haven’t traveled before or something.

I had to hit the ground as soon as we got there to look for warmer things. Selfridges was quite close and I wanted to snap a photo for my mom who just finished watching the Mr Selfridge series. Have you seen it yet? Is it as good as everyone says? I have downloaded it and I’m just waiting for a night when I won’t pass out to start watching!

Selfridges is gorgeous and huge and a bit overwhelming. So many stores within a store.. It reminded me a bit of Harrods. They were just selling more summer things that no one could wear of course…

We wandered down to the Bond Street area for my boys who have been waiting five long years to get back to the 7-story kid’s nirvana that is Hamley’s Toy Store..

I love how all the streets were festooned for the 60th anniversary of the Queen’s coronation.

Mission accomplished. Right away my kids were drawn into this fun catching game by one of their toy barkers. Lots of toy interaction here.

Sorry for the rough photo.

Of course we bought one! Good souvenirs here too. This is a great stop to bring a gift back home from.. I particularly like their Union Jack umbrellas which are nicely made and not too expensive.

Around the corner is the famous Carnaby Street with everyone celebrating Brittania. I loved it! Carnaby is another fun area to shop or eat at…

A hat shop window!

I stumbled on this uniquely British shoe store and was enchanted…

So alternative.

Yes, those are bunny heels!

They embrace the flower here…

And the frog!

Yes those are donuts.

I really wanted a pair of these Provencal inspired sandals, but never made it back.
The number one rule of travel shopping…Do not even think you’ll get back because you won’t! If you think you might want it- get it!

How cool is this? How many shopping areas would offer such a place? What a nice spot to hang out here while you peruse the books and inscriptions…

Around the corner is the bastion of British flowers, Liberty!

It just wouldn’t be a trip to London without a stop at Liberty. So much to love here…

The building itself is half-timbered and so unique. It was constructed from the timbers of two old ships.

If you are a lover of florals this is your spot. You can see the famous Liberty prints that stores like J. Crew, Vans and so many others have been using in their recent collections. They also have a very fun housewares section as well as handbags, scarves and much more.

Last time I was here I bought the most wonderful toile sheets and a gorgeous make-up bag. This time I purchased a cute tote and a few beautiful lavender sachets for drawers.

Their outdoor flower shop. They aren’t pretentious and sell bunches in jam jars as well. Another thing on my bucket list was to have tea here. The cafe has the most darling mis-matched china sets and just all that kind of girly goodness. Didn’t make it. Maybe next time.

While we are talking shopping, Fortnum & Mason is not to be missed. It’s been on Piccadilly St since 1707! I had never been before and I was in for a treat…

The display windows are fabulous!

Inside there is not just tea, but a gorgeous store filled with more treats and treasures. Here is another fabulous place to bring a souvenir home from. They are famous for their hampers, or what we call picnic baskets, filled with goodies. They sell high end teas, confections and foods as well as beauty, accessories, home goods and jewelry.

My shopping buddy checking out the top floor.

The honey section. I love how everything comes in a collectable container like these pretty honey pots.

Stiltons and blue cheeses come in cute crocks.

The biscuits (we say cookies) come in the most gorgeous tins.

The Prince of Wales has his own area of goods produced at Highgrove, his royal estate and farm. It’s a large section and I believe he donates the proceeds to his charities which is nice.

The hot chocolate section.

You can have tea at three different restaurants here. They have high tea, lunch teas and just a spot to grab a scone and a cuppa. I needed more time here! I had to bribe the men with sweets and then they just expired.

I did get some wonderful Coronation loose tea and a little milk pitcher.

Out in the air again we wandered the streets. Make sure you have time to wander! This is a great city to do it in and one of my favorite things to do on my travels.

The fabulous view down The Mall with it’s Union Jacks. Last time we caught the Queen’s Guard coming down here on their horses. That is always a thrill.

Other things I love about wandering London…

Cute entries with umbrellas!

Everyone has flowers somewhere in their entry.

Boxwood is everywhere as well…

The men just look so dashing here.

Even the older gentleman step it up and I love that!

You will see men in bespoke (made to measure) suits all over London and yes it does make a difference. The men look impeccable and so handsome! Coming from California, and Silcon Valley, land of the work chino, I really can appreciate this.

I also like that English guys wear a button-down as we would a t-shirt. So much more attractive in my opinion!

Well, I hope you enjoyed a little bit of what charmed me on this trip!
Next up I’ll show you the rest of my London visit and some pubs, parks and palaces!

Stay tuned!

Kim

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