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Laura and Bernard Ashley founded the brand Laura Ashley. They started printing fabric on their kitchen table in London in 1953, following a Women's Institute exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum on traditional handicrafts. Laura was inspired to make her own patchwork quilts, but couldn’t find any suitable fabrics in the shops, so the young enterprising couple decided to try producing their own. A £10 investment in wood for a screen, dyes and some linen, along with many trips to libraries to learn everything about fabric printing, kick started their fledgling attempts. At first they produced small squares with geometric patterns, which reflected the limited space in their tiny flat.

Around this time the film Roman holiday was released, and Audrey Hepburn's headscarves in the film sparked a trend amongst young Italian girls which the Ashleys picked up on when they went on holiday to Italy in 1952. They realised that they had the means and ability to produce small scarves themselves, and within a short space of time, were selling in great quantities to shops including John Lewis and Heal's. Alongside the scarves, the couple also produced tea towels and placemats, with designs from Victorian advertisements and playbills often with quirky, humorous images. Ashley Mountney Ltd. became a registered company in 1954, joining Laura's maiden name with their married name, but soon it was soon decided that the name of the company should be changed to Laura Ashley, to reflect better their products that had become so popular.

In 1960, the family moved again, this time to Wales where Laura was born, and from where she had many happy childhood memories. They first opened a shop in Macchynlleth which they lived above, and from where they sold locally produced honey, walking sticks as well as their own products. Here Laura worked with a seamstress to introduce their first forays into fashion, producing smock like shirts and gardening smocks.

Bernard's keen business eye as well as Laura's love of all things Victorian led to the long length silhouette and feminine styles which would become the company's trademark and was right on trend at the end of the 1960's, as fashion switched from the mini to the maxi. Initially business was slow, but after Bernard took out 100 adverts on the underground, turnover rose 300% in 3 days, and increased to 3000% in the following 2 months! In 1979, Laura and Bernard moved from Wales to northern France, which would be another huge influence on Laura, and the style of new products from then on took on a grander, more country house look.

Inspired by her new surroundings, Laura began to shift her attention from fashion to the home furnishings side of the business, with the first full home furnishings catalogue appearing in 1981. Tragedy struck however in 1985, when Laura died as a result of a fall down some stairs while visiting her children.