When it comes to creating baby products that are as beautiful as they are purposeful, few brands do it quite like Etta Loves. Founded by mama-of-two Jen Fuller, the award-winning company has built a reputation for combining style with science, designing everyday essentials that not only look gorgeous but also support babies’ visual development. Now, in a dream collaboration, Etta Loves has partnered with iconic British heritage brand Liberty to create a collection that blends 150 years of design artistry with cutting-edge research into infant vision. We sat down with Jen to hear how the partnership came to life, the process behind adapting Liberty’s timeless prints, and why this collection is set to delight both babies and parents alike.
Hi Jen, thanks so much for talking to us about this beautiful collaboration. Could you tell us a little bit about how the partnership with Liberty came about?
It started as a bit of a dream partnership for me. Liberty has such an incredible design legacy, and when I began exploring who I wanted to collaborate with next, they were at the very top of my list. I reached out, and from the very first meeting, it was clear that our two brands share the same respect for detail, craft and timeless quality, just from different starting points. Liberty brings 150 years of design heritage, and we bring the science of infant vision. Together, we were confident we could create something truly special for families.
Liberty is an iconic British heritage brand. How did you balance that heritage with your own brand’s values and aesthetics?
That balance was absolutely key, especially as our most recent collaborations have been with bold, contemporary artists. But for this collection we wanted to lean into Liberty’s artistry and iconic floral patterns, whilst making sure every pattern still served a real purpose for babies’ developing vision. Rather than simply finding and using their patterns as they were, we worked closely with the Liberty design team to adapt colour, scale and contrast, keeping their recognisable beauty but through the eyes of a baby. The collection feels both classic and modern, scientific yet emotional, which is exactly where Etta Loves sits as a brand, so I couldn’t be more proud of it.
How did you choose which Liberty patterns to use, and how did you adapt them?
We worked with an incredible designer at Liberty who took our detailed brief and brought back a shortlist of patterns that met all our must-haves. The brief covered everything from infant pattern preferences to the need for designs that could work at a larger scale. We wanted movement and flow, a sense of a classic Liberty design, and natural spacing that would allow the print to tell its story. With those qualities in place, we knew we could weave in the science to make each pattern truly captivating for babies. From there, we worked closely with Liberty to refine colour palettes and fine details, using scientific insights into how babies perceive and prefer colour at different stages. Our Fairford Shadow pattern was chosen for its simple yet beautiful flower shapes with bullseye centres, seed heads and star-like forms that offer rich visual interest from birth to around four months. Wharfedale Meadow, when scaled appropriately, became a stunning wildflower landscape for curious eyes to explore, offering a natural variety of shapes, intersections and details that continue to engage babies as their vision develops.
Can you walk us through how you integrated function (sensory play, visual stimulation, etc.) with design?
Every Etta Loves product begins with science, and this collaboration was no different. We followed a four-stage process to make sure each design truly supports development while remaining beautiful. We began by exploring the Liberty archive to find patterns with the right sense of rhythm and movement. Then we reimagined them using insights from our orthoptist and the Sussex Baby Lab, adjusting contrast, shape and spacing to align with how babies see at different stages. Each design was then tested and refined, including through our “baby blur” tool, which lets us visualise exactly how a baby perceives it. Only once a pattern has passed all of these steps does it become a product – combining scientific precision with thoughtful design to create something both functional and genuinely beautiful.
The product range includes items from muslins and blankets to playmats and sensory strips. How did you decide the product mix?
We focused on the essentials parents use most, the products that can make the biggest difference when they also support development. Muslins and blankets were a must, because they’re the foundation of so many early routines. The Sensory Strip, Playmat and Grasp Ball were designed for interactive, engaging play that grows with babies, encouraging focus, coordination and curiosity. The goal was to create a collection that supports every part of the day – from nappy changes and feeds to tummy time and quiet moments of comfort.
And finally, which pieces in the Etta Loves × Liberty collection are your personal favourites, and why?
I absolutely love the Playmat and the Grasp Ball. The Playmat perfectly captures what the collaboration is about, it’s stylish, functional and genuinely supports babies as they learn to focus and explore. It transforms tummy time into something both calm and engaging. And the Grasp Ball is such a joyful little object, beautiful to look at, tactile for little hands and endlessly fascinating for babies. It’s the kind of piece you want to keep long after your baby has outgrown it.
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