Meet the Maestros: Liberty’s Finest Artisan Brands
A home for the maestros of design and masters of craft
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Meet the Maestros: Liberty’s Finest Artisan Brands
A home for the maestros of design and masters of craft
By: Team Liberty
This season we bring the skill of our fashion makers to the fore. Timeless styles born from artisanal craft, made with techniques and practices honed over a lifetime: stories of design expertise distilled into each garment.
Join us at Liberty as we shine the spotlight on our contemporary icons of style: from the sculptural silhouette play of Toteme’s minimalism to the effervescence of Dries Van Noten and the artisan mastery of Simone Rocha.
In the seams of these contemporary heirlooms, explore masterclasses in detail and design: crafted creations to be worn for decades, destined to adorn the archives of the curated wardrobe. Here, we shine a light on a selection of the artisan names that call Liberty home.
Toteme
Rooted in a distinctly Swedish sensibility and guided by an understanding of women’s lives and their need for a hardworking wardrobe, Stockholm-based brand TOTEME has been perfecting its chic and practical modern day uniform since it was founded by Elin Kling and Karl Lindman in 2014.
A master of minimalism, expect day-in-day-out comfort, neutral palettes, pieces crafted for longevity and timeless silhouettes, style cues that makes them a darling of the style-set. With TOTEME, simplicity has never been more exciting.
Tolu Coker
Dubbed one of the hottest emerging names in fashion, it seems that British-Nigerian designer Tolu Coker has firmly cemented her place in the style spotlight. After graduating from Central Saint Martins College of Art, and stints working at JW Anderson, Phoebe Philo era-Celine and Maison Margiela, Tolu founded her eponymous brand in 2018, each collection since then garnering increasing acclaim – and for good reason.
Coker’s designs offer an intimate exploration of heritage and memory, underscored by what she describes as “the sacred act of making.” Every garment is produced in the U.K., and she works so closely with her seamstresses that she knows precisely who crafted each piece.
Simone Rocha
Simone Rocha’s fearless yet refined design language has cemented her status as a standout force in London’s fashion landscape. The Irish designer creates meticulously crafted pieces - adorned with bows, ruffles, and lace – that feel both ethereal and assuredly modern, offering bold expressions of contemporary femininity and individuality to those who wear them.
While her collections often carry an undercurrent of quiet sensuality, romance is not her driving force. She considers herself pragmatic - a sensibility woven into her work, where inherited traditions are twisted, reshaped, and subtly subverted to challenge familiar fashion codes.
Dries Van Noten
Third-generation tailor Dries Van Noten trained at the famed Royal Academy of Arts in Antwerp, Belgium – beginning a story of artisan design and craft that has spanned almost four decades. Originally making his name part of the Antwerp Six, his pioneering, cerebral designs have reshaped the fashion landscape with their bold, effervescent and intricately crafted details.
While Dries himself recently retired from his eponymous label, his legacy of experimentation and daring continues through the brand’s new creative director, Julian Klausner, his long-time collaborator.
Vivienne Westwood
The original punk pioneer and British icon Vivienne Westwood has a style like no other. Beloved by many for its eclectic, enigmatic and rule breaking garments, the late Dame Vivienne’s ethos remains a powerful design principle for the brand.
A fan of the unorthodox, the brand focuses on exceptional quality and overlooked materials, most notably using Harris Tweed for its iconic kilts and tweeds. Made in the UK from virgin wool, this vibrant checked set embodies the rebellious spirit and craftmanship synonymous with the legendary designer.
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