Liberty embraces sewing boom with craft classes as it expands fabrics section

Liberty has more than doubled the size of its fabrics department as it prepares to embrace the social media interest in sewing by hosting crafting classes this autumn. Fabric sales rose 11% last year at the central London department store, which opened near Oxford Circus in 1924, and Liberty is expecting a similar pace of growth this year as crafters are joined by wealthy overseas shoppers who stock up on luxury fabrics to be tailored into bespoke outfits in their home countries. Liberty opened its central London department store near Oxford Circus in 1924. Photograph: Liberty Lydia King, Liberty’s retail managing director, said the new department, which is 140% bigger than previously at 4,630 sq ft (430 sq metres), houses more than 2,500 fabrics with support from 17 specialist sales people who can help dressmakers get the right pieces for their project. Fabric sales rose 11% last year at Liberty. Photograph: Stephanie O’Callaghan Photography/Liberty This autumn, Liberty will also be expanding its haberdashery area, where it will be providing workshops for crafters. “More and more department stores have moved away from [haberdashery and fabric] but we want to celebrate and elevate the customer experience,” King said. The rising popularity of crafts such as quilt making and crochet has been partly driven by social media demonstration videos on TikTok, Facebook and Instagram, as well as crafting TV programmes such as The Great British Sewing Bee. “It’s a really broad age range from a customer of 13 who has just got her first sewing machine to an international community making things for themselves,” King said. Online marketplaces for craft, such as Etsy and eBay, and new craft events have also built outlets for handmade items not previously available. The trend for buying secondhand clothing – which may need to be altered at home – is also driving a desire to learn sewing skills. About a fifth of Britons sew, rising to 30% among women, with young people showing a keen interest in buying and making handcrafted items. Recent research from the Crafts Council found that craft participation had risen from 15% to 20% of UK adults in only a few years, bringing making into the mainstream. The renewed interest in sewing is helping Liberty, founded by Arthur Lasenby in 1875, to achieve strong sales even as the luxury rival Harvey Nichols is put up for sale and House of Fraser continues to close outlets. “Fabric is one of the highest sales density areas in the store. We are seeing more and more demand not just for our classics but more elevated and new designs,” said King. “As our lives become increasingly digital, we’re seeing customers simultaneously reconnect with the joy of making – seeking out craftsmanship, creativity and the opportunity to create something that’s entirely their own. From a bespoke dress to a handcrafted quilt, making has become a modern expression of luxury because it offers something increasingly rare: originality.” The team includes Alison Lewis, an assistant who has worked at Liberty for more than 30 years, and more recently become a social media star. The additional space makes it easier for Liberty to display its growing range of own-label fabrics. Its famous Tana Lawn range now includes georgette, sequin and sparkly thread-adorned versions alongside traditional cotton.