Retail Watch: Liberty Opens on Sloane Street

Liberty's reputation as a master of the old-meets-new look is set to continue with the opening of their first stand-alone store in London's Sloane street. Setting up shop alongside the likes of Chanel and Vuitton, the boutique will stock their incredibly popular own line, Liberty of London, featuring men's collections, leather goods, print scarves, swimwear and jewelry.

The space itself will be a step away from the old world glamour of the west-end department store, all creaking floorboards and Tudor grandeur. The new venture has a sleeker, more contemporary feel, employing the services of Parisian design team Beucler and Poggioli of Architecture & Associés, the duo behind Dior, Lanvin and Comme des Garçons stores worldwide.

Expect to be greeted by gold arches, high gloss furniture, acrylic curtains and a sweeping oak staircase. The two-story store's centerpiece, a "scarf bar," makes feature of their trademark item, beloved of grannies and fashion students alike. But they're not turning their backs completely on their 19th century exotica roots—you can look out for the odd stag head, floral molding and orient express train seat here and there as well.

Creative director Tamara Salman, the brains behind the new boutique, has also reworked some of Liberty's most iconic prints housed in the sprawling archive, from the 1876 peacock feather Hera to the 1900 Art Nouveau inspired Ianthe. And to celebrate the Sloane Street opening, Tamara has designed a hand-painted, limited-edition "Ianthe" print white box bag available exclusively from the new venue. Arthur Liberty would be proud.

Shop address: 197 Sloane St, London, SW1X 9QX
www.liberty.co.uk

—Lena Dystant