A Look Back at the Iconic Designer’s Career
Laura Ashley’s inspiring story is built upon a foundation of entrepreneurial ambition, creativity, and traditional values. As we celebrate International Women’s Day, we wanted to take a look back at the woman who celebrated authenticity and being the romantic heroine.
Mrs. Ashley’s dedication to quality and originality made the Laura Ashley brand synonymous with beauty and design. Her vision defined British style then and today.
Her designs featured soft, feminine prints and patterns, combining floral motifs and geometric prints. Mrs. Ashley’s style quickly gained popularity among those who sought a more romantic and nostalgic aesthetic. Her influence extended beyond fashion into home decor, where her designs were used for bedding, wallpaper curtains, and upholstery.
Embark on a journey with us as we trace the brand’s humble beginnings to its current status as a global lifestyle icon.
The Legacy of Laura Ashley
“Eccentricity is often rewarding,” Mrs. Ashley once said. She wasn’t swayed by city influences and loved the pastoral life of the country. Laura Ashley’s designs were heavily influenced by her love of nature and the English countryside, as well as traditional Welsh and English heritage. Her love of Victorian style was reflected in her iconic designs, which are still celebrated today with the iconic prairie dress and the Cottagecore or Grandmillenial movement.
How Laura Ashley Built a Successful Company from the Ground Up
The global lifestyle empire had humble beginnings. Bernard and Laura Ashley started their business in 1953. When Mrs. Ashley was 28, she was inspired by a traditional handicrafts exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London. Using a £10 investment to make their first screen-printed scarves and tea towels, the company got its start in their kitchen. In 1959, she added a gardening apron and smock that got the attention of The London Sunday Times, which then catapulted the company into the fashion industry.
Laura Ashley and the British Style Revolution:
Her husband, Bernard Ashley, and their four children played a significant role in the growth and success of the Laura Ashley brand. Notably, their daughter, Jane Ashley, became the company photographer, and her photos established the look of the brand and the spirit of a generation in the 1970s, and many of them are still used today.
featured in fashion and home decor.
In 1976, when Jane Ashley was working as the company photographer, she asked her friends from her time studying Art at Hammersmith College to model the latest Laura Ashley collections. Those friends later became some of the biggest names in punk; Mick Jones and Paul Simonon of The Clash and Viv Albertine from the Slits. Shot at The Clash’s rehearsal studios in Camden and the surrounding area, their rehearsal space at this time was a disused railway warehouse.
How Her Designs Capture the Spirit of the Times
It didn’t matter what decade; Mrs. Ashley’s prints and designs spoke to a generation and were timeless by not conforming to trends but by simply making what people wanted. By 1955, the company’s prints were so popular, Laura and Bernard Ashley produced about 300 yards of fabric a day.
In the 1960s and 1970s, Mrs. Ashley mixed popular styles and patterns of the era with a classic English romance, harking back to her country upbringing.
By the 1980s, an engaged Princess Diana was famously photographed in a Laura Ashley skirt. Later in 1991, Bride Magazine published a photo of model Kate Moss wearing one of the brands’ romantic wedding dresses.
The Enduring Appeal of Laura Ashley
Long before there was the term “lifestyle brand”, Laura Ashley famously said, “More than a brand, we are a lifestyle.” Quintessentially British, her designs were also romantic. Whether designing a fashion collection or a home collection, Mrs. Ashley’s vision was distinctly feminine, mixed with a romanticised view of life. Her strong vision still exudes a romantic feeling that you can still see in the collections today.
Laura Ashley’s Influence on Home Decor: A Look at Her Timeless Designs and Patterns
Laura Ashley’s designs were unabashedly romantic. Filled with florals and graphic prints, Mrs. Ashley embraced colour and pattern. In 1981, the first Home catalog was published, and in 1983 The Laura Ashley Book of Home Decorating was published, cementing Mrs. Ashley’s influence globally. The images in the book and the catalog became hugely influential for interior designers for generations
their homes internationally.
home and her romantic style.
from our 2023 home collection.
How Her Designs Continue to Inspire Today
The iconic floral prints that the heritage brand is known for continue to inspire fashion and home decor collections today. Many of the prints and designs have been reimagined in fashion collaborations with notable designers and brands such as Batsheva, Lucky Brand, Urban Outfitters, Barbour, Rag & Bone and Baggu. In addition to home decor such as wallpaper, bedding, dinnerware and glassware, Laura Ashley prints are also refreshing kitchens, mudrooms, bathrooms and laundry rooms with a British sensibility with the tile collection available at The Tile Shop.
famous by Mrs. Ashley.
Remembering the Designer Who Defined a Generation of Style
Sadly, in 1985, Laura Ashley passed away. She is sorely missed by family and friends. Her creative vision is still very much a part of the work today.
Tell us about your Laura Ashley memories. Do you remember wearing a dress to a fun event or falling asleep in a bedroom decorated in Laura Ashley? Comment below, tag us @lauraashleyusa or use the hashtag #lauraashleyusa.
