Laura Ashley

Laura Ashley still trades on its reputation for English print and pattern, but opinions on the homeware vary, partly because the brand has changed hands more than once. Buy it for the distinctive florals and the romantic, country-house mood that few rivals match. Judge each piece on its own construction rather than assuming the name alone guarantees heirloom durability.

The brand's quintessentially English florals and prairie silhouettes sit right at the heart of the cottagecore revival, so the archive feels newly relevant. Original prints and Victorian-inspired patterns are sought after on resale platforms by a generation rediscovering the look. If you love the romance, vintage is often where the most charming pieces live.

It is a British textile design company that first became known for Victorian-style head scarves, one of which was worn by Audrey Hepburn in Roman Holiday. From there it grew into clothing and household goods defined by floral, romantic, distinctly English print. Pattern is the through-line of everything it makes.

The company was founded by Laura Ashley and her husband Bernard Ashley in 1953 in London. Laura designed the prints while Bernard built and ran the printing equipment, a complementary partnership that gave the firm its strength for decades. Laura stayed in charge of design until shortly before her death.

It began very small. Laura designed napkins, table mats and tea-towels that Bernard printed on a machine he built in an attic flat in Pimlico, with the couple investing £10 in wood, dyes and a few yards of linen. Her inspiration came from a Women's Institute display of traditional handicrafts at the Victoria and Albert Museum, after she found that small Victorian-pattern patches for patchwork simply did not exist.

Hepburn inadvertently sparked the company's growth. When she appeared in the 1953 film Roman Holiday wearing a headscarf, the fashion icon instantly made the style popular around the globe, and the Ashleys' Victorian-style scarves took off with stores. It is one of those happy accidents that turned a tiny attic operation into an international name.

Wales is where the company really grew up. After early years in London and Kent, the family relocated to Wales in 1961, opening their first shop at 35 Maengwyn Street in Machynlleth, which still trades today as an interior design shop and carries a small commemorative plaque. The move shaped the brand's deep roots in British craft and countryside imagery.

Very. From its modest origins it grew into an international retail chain with more than 500 stores selling both clothing and household goods. The company was taken public in 1985, after the death of its founder, marking its arrival as a major name in fashion and home furnishing.

Ownership has moved in recent years. After the company filed for administration in March 2020, it was relaunched following its sale to Gordon Brothers, and in January 2025 it was sold to Marquee Brands. That history is worth keeping in mind when you compare older pieces with newer ones.

The firm was initially named Ashley Mountney Ltd, incorporating Laura's maiden name, Mountney. As sales grew it was renamed Laura Ashley because Bernard felt a woman's name was more appropriate for the type of products they made. So the wordmark you know today was a deliberate branding choice, not just whose name came first.