Liberty plans more outerwear and knitwear under design head Sinead O’Brien

Liberty plans to expand outerwear and knitwear as it develops its in-house fashion offer under new Head of Design Sinead O’Brien, according to TheIndustry.fashion. The British luxury department store appointed O’Brien last month, following her previous roles at Vivienne Westwood, Erdem, Roksanda and Temperley London.

O’Brien said outerwear in the current collection had been well received, while knitwear expansion includes a partnership with British knitwear company Albion. Accessories will become more closely integrated with ready-to-wear through coordinating fabrics. She also oversees scarves and soft accessories, and wants their print language to inform garments.

Her approach centres on reinterpreting Liberty’s archive and encouraging more exchange between fashion and interiors teams. Menswear remains a smaller collection, she said, with overshirts and macs joining its offer. Broader category development is still at an early stage, and O’Brien said decisions would be selective and guided by timing.

Why it matters For buyers and suppliers, the plans identify outerwear, knitwear and coordinated accessories as areas of development within Liberty’s own collections. The Albion partnership and closer links between product teams show how the retailer is developing that offer around its existing print archive.