Gucci x Liberty Floral Horsebit Maryjane Pointed Toe Ballet Flats 36.5

The Liberty of London department store, located in the fashionable west end of London in the United Kingdom, has been selling luxury items since 1875. From leather footstools in the shape of a hippo to elegantly hand-carved Moroccan coffee tables, there’s something to please every discerning collector. And while it became a reputable retailer over time, the original Liberty Co. was a pivotal force in the development of the Aesthetic, Art Nouveau and the Arts and Crafts movements. As the champion of eclectic design throughout the centuries, Liberty continues to collaborate with designers to produce covetable interior fashion and accessories.

Arthur Liberty was born in 1843 in Buckinghamshire, England. His father, a draper, encouraged him to apprentice as a draper at age 16. Instead, he took an offer to work at Farmer and Rogers, a women’s fashion store. After ten years, he decided to strike out on his own. In 1875 he borrowed money from his father-in-law and leased a small store on the very prominent Regent Street, naming it the East India House.

Liberty’s store was very eclectic. It served as an emporium for Eastern imports, with a wildly varied collection of ornaments, fabrics and objects d’art — including imported antiques — on offer. In London, there was already a demand for and an interest in imported goods from India and elsewhere, so his business concept was an immediate success. He repaid his loan in less than two years and continually expanded by buying up all the buildings on his side of the street. His company was so successful that even the original Victoria and Albert Museum purchased Eastern textiles for its collection from his store.

By 1890, the firm came to be known as Liberty Company. Liberty died in 1917, but the business continued to thrive. In 1924, the current iteration — and now world-famous — of the store was constructed. It was built in the Tudor Revival style and the structure's frame was made of wood salvaged from two British warships. In the 1950s and '60s, the store, now known as Liberty’s, helped spark the counterculture youth movements of the era as beatniks and hippies purchased fabrics and furnishings from this iconic store. 

On 1stDibs, find antique Liberty of London tables, decorative objects, seating and more.

Long before trend-bucking creative director Alessandro Michele brought his hallucinatory “Utopian Fantasy” campaign to Gucci, it was a modest Italian leather shop. Today, it’s an internationally renowned luxury house with an iconic logo, and vintage Gucci clothing, handbags and shoes are among high fashion's most covetable goods.

Guccio Gucci (1881–1953) admired the stylish suitcases he saw wealthy guests arrive with at the Savoy Hotel in London, where he worked as a bellhop. So, in 1921, after a stint at Franzi, a luggage company in his hometown of Florence, he opened a leather goods shop of his own.

At first, Gucci’s Florence business specialized in equestrian accessories. But as its reputation flourished, particularly among the English aristocracy, so too did its footprint. In 1938, he brought three of his sons — Aldo, Vasco and Rodolfo — into the business and expanded it to Rome and later Milan. In the mid-1930s, a League of Nations embargo against Italy pushed Gucci to experiment with alternatives to imported leather. Its woven hemp fabric from Naples, adorned with the brand’s signature diamond print, was a hit, especially among A-list celebrities. The material was first used on suitcases before finding enduring popularity on handbags. (No list of revered designer purses would be complete without Gucci.)

In the 1950s, Elizabeth Taylor carried one of Gucci’s bamboo-handled tote bags, another adaptation to material rationing. After Jackie Kennedy was seen sporting a slouchy Gucci tote in 1961, it was renamed for the First Lady. Then Grace Kelly, on a visit to the boutique in Milan, inspired Rodolfo Gucci to work with Italian illustrator and Gucci textile designer Vittorio Accornero on the Flora print in 1966. Taking cues from Sandro Botticelli’s Primavera, with its pattern of flora and insects, it was painted entirely by hand and featured no fewer than 37 colors.

In 1953, just 15 days after opening his first store on New York’s 5th Avenue, Guccio passed away at 72. The early 1970s saw store openings in Tokyo and Hong Kong, but by the late 1980s, Gucci was floundering. Rodolfo Gucci took charge in 1982, but family drama and lawsuits ensued. In 1993, Rodolfo’s son, Maurizio, transferred his shares in the company to Investcorp, ending the family’s involvement in Gucci. Dawn Mello, then-president of Bergdorf Goodman, joined as creative director in 1989. But it was Tom Ford, who took over as creative director in 1994, who ultimately revived the brand.

Ford’s racy ads, shot by photographers such as Mario Testino, stirred controversy. And his potent vision of sexed-up femininity — with “jewel-toned satin shirts unbuttoned to there,” as Vogue described his breakthrough 1995 runway show — was wildly successful. The new millennium brought new ownership — Pinault Printemps Redoute in 2004 — and a more toned-down vision from Frida Giannini, who became sole creative director in 2006. Alessandro Michele was named creative director in 2015, and the storied brand took a giant leap forward.

Find vintage Gucci clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.