I am sure all you fashion followers out there have heard about the new design capsule being offered at Target stores with Liberty of London. What you may not know is what exactly a “Liberty Print” is or the history behind it.

Sir Arthur Lazenby Liberty is the founder of Liberty of London, a department store in London famous for its tiny little floral prints. Lazenby Liberty in 1874 set up his own shop in London’s Regent Street and presided over the shop’s transformation from an Eastern bazaar to a department store that commissioned and sold modern design of all kinds. He collaborated with dyers and printers of Thomas Wardle to create original fabrics, which soon became synonymous with art nouveau.

In the 20th century, Liberty fabrics were used by the best known designers of each decade, from Paul Poiret to Yves Saint Laurent, from Cacharel to Jean Muir. The famous Liberty silk scarves and ties are sold all over the world.

Today the major London department store has expanded to include fabric and clothing designs for womenswear and menswear and the fashion collections of upscale designers. They also offer home furnishings, decorative accessories, and gifts. At the same time, the Liberty brand has maintained as its centerpiece the colorful prints with which it has long been associated. They have an in-house design team who create the Liberty of London-branded products for distribution in Liberty’s own stores as well as in other retail locations throughout the world.