This October, William Morris Gallery will present Women in Print: 150 Years of Liberty Textiles. Conceived in partnership with Liberty Fabrics on the occasion of the design house’s 150th anniversary, this major exhibition will highlight the pivotal role and contributions of women textile designers.

Tracing the rich history of Liberty fabrics, the exhibition will survey the evolving influence and status of women in textiles over the past 150 years. Women in Print will bring together iconic patterns by designers such as Althea McNish, Susan Collier and Sarah Campbell, and Lucienne Day, alongside previously overlooked names, celebrating how women have been — and continue to be — at the heart of Liberty’s creative innovations and ongoing relevance today. It will feature over 100 works, spanning garments, fabric, original designs, film and historic photographs.

A programme of events, including mentoring and training for local young people, will underpin the exhibition and ask the question: what does the future for women textile designers in the UK look like?

Women in Print is curated by Rowan Bain, Principal Curator of Collections and Programme and Roisin Inglesby, Curator William Morris Gallery, with exhibition design by Simon Milthorp, Lai Couto and Scarlet Winter. 

Women in Print is part of William Morris Gallery’s 75th anniversary programme.

Read the press release.

Image: ‘Malindi’ furnishing fabric, designed by Gwenfred Jarvis for Liberty, 1959. Credit: William Morris Gallery