Smythson opens Liberty concession in meeting of heritage British brands

Two stalwarts of British design heritage are joining forces this summer, as Smythson of Bond Street opens a new concession in Liberty’s Regent Street flagship. The move brings together two 19th-century-founded brands whose reputations have been built on craftsmanship, quality materials and a certain understated luxury.

The concession, which opens on 14 August in Liberty’s third-floor homeware department, offers Smythson’s hallmark diaries, notebooks and stationery alongside a tightly edited selection of leather goods and best-selling bags. In keeping with the brand’s tradition, an in-store personalisation service allows customers to foil-stamp initials or motifs in gold or silver.

This is not simply a co-location exercise but a deliberate pairing of sensibilities. Liberty, founded in 1875, has long been synonymous with distinctive prints and artisanal collaborations; Smythson, established in 1887, is known for its signature Nile Blue packaging, fine leatherwork and the Panama diary. Both have maintained relevance across changing fashion cycles by leaning on heritage while selectively modernising product lines.

To mark the launch, the two brands have developed an exclusive Smythson x Liberty collection. The first edit, arriving this month, features notebooks and diaries in Liberty Purple, Nile Blue and seasonal Coral, lined with Liberty’s archival silk prints and available in Panama cross-grain and Mara croc-embossed leathers. A second drop in November will extend the colour story into travel accessories, including passport covers and luggage tags in Liberty Purple Mara leather.

The collection will be sold in the UK exclusively through Liberty’s flagship store and its website, with international orders available via Smythson.com. While neither brand discloses sales by product category, both have cited steady growth in leather goods and personalised stationery in recent trading updates, a segment where cross-brand collaborations tend to command higher price points and repeat custom.

For two institutions whose combined history spans almost 300 years, the Liberty–Smythson tie-up feels less like a novelty and more like a natural extension of a shared, very British design language.