Miranda Blacky / 09 May 2025 / Categories: Shops, Clothing

Liberty Designer Vintage Clobber In The Basement

For Kate Middleton Recycling and Rewearing all the rage

I love everything about Liberty, London’s iconic landmark situated off Regent St and next to Carnaby St opposite the iconic London Palladium. It’s a department store with a twist open 7 days a week from 10am, 12 noon on Sundays, where you will find surprises, things you’ve never heard of, the interesting and the eclectic.

Opened in 1875 by Arthur Lasenby Liberty, the renowned department store opened at 218 Regent Street in London with a plan to create a unique shopping experience featuring luxury goods, fabrics, and ornaments sourced from the far flung corners of the globe.

To this day for me it’s the very best shopping experience in London. Just walking through the Liberty flowers at the front entrance of the black and white listed building you are transported into retailing heaven.

Don’t be surprised to see a make up grooming experience happening on the ground floor, this isn’t like Selfridges, or Harrods, stop and join in, they won’t mind.

I think this is why I love this shop. It’s service not snobbery. I can go in with dirty hair and I’ll still be treated in exactly the same way by retail professionals, the lady on the perfume, now called “The Fragrance Lounge” has been there for donkey’s years, who feel more like friends.

The shop is magical from the iconic Liberty prints, the ties, the scarves, the hankies as famous as Venetian marbled paper.

Seeing Kate Middleton sport an Alessandra Rich dress at the VE Day celebration in London, she wore at Windsor castle back in June, 2023 a dress I absolutely loved and homage to a dress the Late Diana Princess of wales wore at Royal Ascot back in 1988, it made me think about a little know very glamourous secondhand department in the basement at Liberty.

They also have recycled concessions on the 1st and 2nd floors too.

The selection of recycled hand picked designer luxury is stupendous and with the Princess of Wales leading the charge for the well heeled, Liberty are bringing glamour stylish recycling into the forefront and changing the merchandising of what was once perhaps viewed not so favourably “secondhand Rose” springs to mind into aspiration for a new enlightened age.

What began as a toe dipping exercise, a table with a few bits of jewelery and accessories in 2006 has grown into the bones of the shop. It’s not consignment, it’s curated which is why I think it looks and feels unlike any secondhand store I’ve ever been into.

The staff are wonderful and if you don’t see the vintage piece you’ve had your eye on don’t worry, give them your brief and they’ll find it for you.

Prices, well even secondhand you may be surprised how expensive things are, Jackets range from about £250 up, dresses anywhere from £200 but when you factor in original rrp, cleaning and remerchandising in such a beautiful and remarkable way it’s a place I love to support. It’s a passionate place you can feel the minute you step inside.

I feel my money changing hands before I even decide what I am buying, sometimes just a candle I’ve never heard of, or some stationary, I love stationary. Liberty have made it possible for everyone to have something even if it’s small. The purple bag is accessible to all, and you don’t get that feeling anywhere else. And it is a feeling.

No trip to Liberty would be complete without going upstairs to the African and Indian section where the smell transports you to a Marrakech market or an Arabian Souq. I am always blown away by what’s up there, carpets and curios, loads of things handmade, the weird and the wonderful all in one place, a modern take on tales of travel, explorers returning from far off lands with treasures crafted by true artisans.

Honestly if you’ve never been it’s probably my favourite shop in the world. And an organisation I love to support where the staff are genuinely happy and feel privileged to be part of the business. And that makes for a beautiful experience for every single customer rich or poor, everyone gets the same “how can I help you today” service.

Bravo Liberty.