Libertine pieces cleaned and hand-finished by Alex's Dry Cleaning Valet.
Heritage & Expertise
Libertine, Cared For by Alex's Team
Founded in Los Angeles in 2001 by Johnson Hartig, Libertine made its name reimagining vintage and couture garments — silk-screening surreal artwork, layering on hand-applied crystals, beadwork, and ornate embroidery to create one-of-a-kind embellished pieces championed early on by Karl Lagerfeld and Anna Wintour.
That decoration is precisely what makes Libertine so fragile in cleaning. Aggressive solvents and machine agitation loosen glued and hand-set crystals, crack screen-printed graphics, and abrade delicate beadwork and metallic thread — damage that cannot be re-created once lost. Alex's specializes in exactly these embellished garments, treating each as the irreplaceable artwork it is.
Specialist Care
How Alex's Cares for Libertine
Each Libertine piece is hand-inspected, spot-treated, and cleaned with the gentlest effective method to preserve every crystal, print, and stitch.
Hand-set crystals
We secure and protect every applied crystal before cleaning, choosing methods that won't dissolve adhesives or pop stones loose, and inspect each one on return so none are lost or clouded.
Silk-screened graphics
Libertine's printed artwork can crack and fade under harsh solvents and heat; we clean and finish at controlled temperatures to keep the colors and line work crisp and intact.
Hand embroidery and beadwork
Dense embroidery and beaded passages are spot-cleaned and supported by hand so metallic threads stay bright and beads stay anchored, never snagged by machine agitation.
Reworked vintage and couture bases
Because Libertine builds on older, often fragile base garments, we test the underlying fabric and seams first and adjust our process to the most delicate component in the piece.
Delicate eveningwear fabrics
Silk, chiffon, and other fine gown fabrics are cleaned and pressed by hand to protect drape and structure, with no creasing or shine where the body of the dress meets its ornament.
Pickup & Delivery
Door-to-Door Across the Bay Area
The same white-glove standard travels everywhere we serve. Pickup from your front door, doorman, or garage — returned cleaned, pressed, and ready to wear.
San Francisco
Monday – Saturday
Next-business-day return; Saturday pickups return Tuesday morning.
Peninsula & South Bay
Monday · Wednesday · Friday
Returned on the next scheduled service day.
Marin County
Monday – Saturday
Same-day return is the standard Mon–Fri — morning pickups come back the same afternoon. Saturday pickups return Monday; closed Sundays.
East Bay
Thursday & Saturday
Returned on the next service day.
Wine Country
Monday & Thursday
Mon & Thu 11:00 AM–3:00 PM · next service day (Mon↔Thu). $300 min or $75 each way.
$75 minimum per pickup with free pickup and delivery across San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and the East Bay. Wine Country (Napa, Sonoma & St. Helena): $300 service minimum, or a $75 delivery charge each way. Same-day service available in most areas for an additional fee.
Common Questions
Libertine Garment Care FAQ
How do you clean a Libertine dress with crystals and embellishments without damaging them?
We never run embellished Libertine pieces through a standard machine process. Each garment is hand-inspected, crystals and beadwork are assessed and protected, and we use the gentlest effective solvent or hand-cleaning method so adhesives stay intact, stones stay set, and silk-screened graphics don't crack or fade. Spot-treatment and pressing are done by hand.
Do you pick up and deliver Libertine garments in San Francisco?
Yes. Alex's is a door-to-door valet — we collect your Libertine gowns and eveningwear from your home anywhere in San Francisco and the Bay Area and return them to you finished. Simply call 415-338-9318 to schedule a pickup, and your pieces are never handled at a public counter.
Will dry cleaning ruin the silk-screened prints or embroidery on my Libertine piece?
Not with the right process. The risk with Libertine is heat and harsh solvents cracking the printed artwork or abrading embroidery and metallic thread, which is why we clean at controlled temperatures and support delicate beaded and embroidered areas by hand. We've cared for embellished garments since 1984, and we treat each Libertine piece as the irreplaceable artwork it is.