Laura Ashley (company)

Laura Ashley is a British textile design company founded in 1953 in London by Laura Ashley and her husband Bernard Ashley. It first became known for printing Victorian-style headscarves, one of which was worn by Audrey Hepburn in the film Roman Holiday. The firm moved to Wales in 1961 and later grew into an international retail chain of more than 500 stores selling clothing and household goods. After the founder died in 1985 the business was taken public as Laura Ashley Holdings plc. It filed for administration in March 2020, after which the brand was bought out of administration by Gordon Brothers and relaunched, and in January 2025 it was sold to Marquee Brands.