Laura Ashley

Laura Ashley (born Laura Mountney, 1925 to 1985) was a Welsh fashion designer and businesswoman who founded the retail business that carries her name. She began in the 1950s by making furnishing materials, and in the 1960s she widened the business into designing and manufacturing clothing. The house style that grew out of her work is described as Romantic, often drawing on a nineteenth century rural feel and relying on natural fabrics. Her case shows how a small craft operation making printed textiles for the home could be developed into a recognisable fashion and furnishings brand built around one consistent aesthetic.