Laura Ashley

(09/07/1925-09/17/1985)
Fashion designer and manufacturer who created women's clothes and home furnishings, she started a chain of successful retail stores bearing her name.
Born Laura Mountney in Merthyr Tydfil, Wales she was a self-taught designer.
Formed company with her husband, Bernard, in 1953 selling printed headscarves, table mats and tea towels. 1961 opened first shop in Wales. By the late 1960's Laura Ashley was highly successful with retail outlets throughout UK and abroad. In the 60's launched clothing range of simple aprons, smocks and dresses, creating voluminous dresses with patch pockets, and toward the end of that decade, ankle-length printed cotton dresses. Her long pinafore dresses were worn over high-necked blouses. In the early 1970's some of her best-known designs appeared, including Edwardian-style dresses, many with high, frilly collars and leg-of-mutton sleeves, or scoop necks and short puff sleeves. Most of her fabrics were printed with simple floral motifs based on 18th and 19th century patterns: tiny geometric prints, flowers, trailing sprigs, and fine spots and stripes. Until the early 1980's the company designed and manufactured garments in cotton only, but later collections included clothes in cotton mixtures and jersey fabrics. Captured the sustained mood for romantic escapist pastoral styles.
She died from a fall at the age of 60.

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