What: Liberty has more than doubled its fabrics department as demand for sewing, craft and premium handmade fashion grows.

Why it is important: The department’s growth demonstrates how specialist service, workshops and exclusive products can attract both younger makers and affluent international shoppers.

Liberty has more than doubled the size of its dressmaking fabrics department, moving against the wider department store trend of reducing or removing fabrics and haberdashery. The expansion follows an 11% rise in fabric sales last year and growing interest in sewing driven by social media, the BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee, craft marketplaces, vintage fashion and a broader return to handmade clothing. The department is now 140% larger, covering 4,630 sq ft and offering more than 2,500 fabrics, supported by specialist salespeople. The offer includes Liberty’s exclusive prints across cotton, linen, silk and fine wool, alongside a dedicated silk atelier and new embroidered and embellished bases featuring sequins and metallics. The haberdashery area will expand in autumn, when Liberty will also introduce craft workshops. Retail managing director Lydia King said Liberty wants to celebrate and elevate the customer experience in fabrics and haberdashery. The customer base ranges from teenage beginners to affluent international visitors buying premium materials for bespoke pieces.

IADS Notes: Liberty’s expansion of its fabrics department fits its broader strategy of turning heritage, expertise and creativity into modern retail differentiation. In August 2025, Vogue Business reported that Liberty was outpacing the retail slowdown through distinctive curation, expert staff knowledge, local customer loyalty, e-commerce growth and the strength of its in-house brand, including internationally successful fabric sales. Fashion United’s October 2025 coverage of Liberty’s 150th anniversary similarly showed how the retailer uses design legacy, own-label products, craftsmanship, exclusive collaborations and its distinctive store experience to remain relevant. BeautyInc’s October 2025 report on Liberty’s Beauty Studio demonstrated the same experiential logic in another category, with niche brands, services, creativity, wellness and self-expression turning retail space into a destination. The skills dimension is echoed by the August 2025 Press Release on Nordstrom and FIT’s tailoring certificate course, which showed how specialist expertise and hands-on training can differentiate retail service. WWD’s June 2026 coverage of Printemps’ designer discovery strategy also confirms rising demand for uniqueness, craftsmanship, storytelling and one-of-a-kind experiences as consumers tyre of standardised luxury.

Liberty London more than doubles dressmaking fabric department