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At Laura Ashley HQ we are taking a trip down memory lane as we celebrate our 60 Anniversary! Following on from Head of Home Buying Liz’s looking back blog post to flicking through the abundance of entries to our Memories facebook competition – we have thoroughly enjoyed reading all your stories!  So naturally when lifestyle blogger Chloe from The Petite Pencil came to us with this sweet Laura Ashley memory we had to share…

‘When the sun comes out it fills me with excitement at the thought of airing my summer wardrobe. Trusty denim cutoffs, espadrilles and baggy tees are all pulled out of the cupboards frantically. But one key piece from Laura Ashley means more to me than all the others combined…a faded floral denim jacket from the 1980’s. Secretly hunting through my mum’s wardrobe one day after complaining of nothing to wear for the millionth time, I found the gem. Scrambling around in the dark wooden space, I felt like Lucy in ‘The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe’, but instead of finding fur coats and escaping to Narnia, I stumbled across my mum’s pretty pastel jacket. When I came down wearing it she looked both surprised and pleased that one of the pieces she loved as a girl was getting a second chance to see the world. Knowing my mum wore it at a similar age to me makes me smile and I think of her every time I wear it.’

How adorable is Chloe’s memory? The age old saying of how fashions come and go definitely springs to mind when it comes to Chloe’s mums jacket!

Have you been on the receiving end of any passed down Laura Ashley goodies? Or maybe you were kind enough to gift them to a family member or friend – if so we would love to hear all about it! Simply enter our Memories facebook competition where you could be in with a chance of winning a £1000 giftcard and a rare chance to explore our London archive.

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We chatted, we reminisced and we coveted all the home, fashion and vintage treasures at our AW13 press day yesterday. Some of the biggest names in interior & fashion journalism joined us for an intimate showcase at the beautiful listed venue of Il Bottacio off Hyde Park. Arguably our most nostalgic collection yet, next season celebrates our diamond 60th anniversary with an explosion of nostalgic prints from the past re-launched and modernised for today. The show was received with sheer delight and we hope our dear customers love it too! Here is our round up of the best bits…

Berry and vanilla smoothies served up at press day- yum.

First stop was a tribute to our rich past and heritage: a pop up archive curated by history extraordinaire Angela (our London archivist). Divided into decades, we took journalists on a journey through time from our oldest item (the Pelham scarf printed on Laura and Bernard’s kitchen table in 1953) through to the contemporary designs of the noughties. This was a rare chance to enjoy our most sacred vintage fashion, admire our past prints, old Ashley family photographs and personal pieces from Mrs Ashley’s very own china collection. Note Bernard’s large antique carved wooden chest filled with Laura Ashley textiles and the porcelain doll made in the likeness of Laura Ashley from Christmas 1984. We even created a mock room set adorned with 80′s home collection ‘Alba Roses’ and showcased the original 70’s uniform of burgundy & white printed aprons and a frilly hat. Taking any of you back?!

Vintage lover Liz Tregenca arrived at the press day dressed head to toe in this incredible vintage Laura Ashley dress

A3 black and white print of Laura and Bernard Ashley receiving the Queen’s award for export in 1977

Bernard Ashley’s antique carved wooden chest

Alba Roses roomset from the 80′s

After a trip down memory lane, step this way for our new home collections with nostalgic inspiration. Big story for the season is that we are re-releasing some of your adored prints from the past! Last year we asked our facebook fans what their favourite prints were from days gone by. We listened and we’ve supplied… Heritage prints ‘Clarissa’ (1999), ‘Mr Jones’ (1984), ‘Emma’ (1984) and ‘Ironwork Scroll’ (1993) are all being resold in their original colour ways for Autumn along with a handful of new carefully produced colourations including shades of duck egg, amethyst, cranberry and dove grey. Do the original prints bring back any memories? Also creating a stir and new to the home furnishings range is the ‘Pelham’ print (taken from the earliest print design crafted by Mrs Ashley on her kitchen table and originally a head scarf) available as a wallpaper and fabric design. Named after the company’s first London store on Pelham street, which opened in 1968. Although our oldest design we marveled with press at how fresh and modern it still feels today.

Mr Jones print is back! Here is a new cranberry colourway.

The ‘Pelham’ print now available in different shades of wallpaper and fabric.

You can also get the Pelham print on made to order shades.

Other big home stories were our 5 new collections, each offering something entirely fresh and different; ‘Cranberry Peony’ with it’s beautiful drawn peonies offering a grown up feel, ‘Amethyst Peony’ mixing scattered peony heads with our heritage ironwork scroll print exuding confidence and style; ‘Leaf’ our big trend story with botanical inspired motifs, large scale + graphic mixed leaf prints; ‘Markings’ with perennial animal themed prints in luxe shades of linen, mink and touches of pewter for sheer opulence; and ‘Cool Coral’ (a new shade for us) mixing hand drawn flowers and painterly fabrics for a pretty and feminine story…

AW13 home story ‘Leaf’.

Wallpaper print in the ‘Leaf’ collection. Including Pelham in Natural.

AW13 home story ‘Cool Coral’.

AW13 home story ‘Markings’

Liz our Head of Home Buying sitting in the Hydrangea roomset- a print which has been recoloured in duck egg for the new season.

Anyone for a cuppa? The new ‘Peony Amethyst’ print on this pretty china

And pieces capturing the eye of the press? Rose gold ‘Arielle’ furniture (an entirely new finish for us!) injecting some glamour into our ‘Cool Coral’ home story, beautiful new metallic hammered frames and lamp bases, the stunning crystal ‘Lotus’ lamp base and the limited edition Heritage print mugs and candles…

Metallic hammered frames and lamp bases.

The popular crystal lotus lamp

Heritage mugs and candles.

Fast forward into the fashion room where Helen (our Head of Design) and Sandra (Head of Buying) talked press through our to-die-for new style stories, taking a dynamic new print direction with striking ikat and folky prints, accessorised with statement costume jewellery and buttery soft leather bags.

Injecting some sparkle into the new season was our Christmas occasion wear offering (trophy sequined tops and peter pan beaded collars) guarantee to get you noticed at this year’s festive party line up. For a more casual feel this Christmas, we are can’t wait to cosy up by the fire in our irresistibly cosy red knits, chunky weight sweaters and duffle coats with playful check lining.

Christmas knits

Christmas sparkle!

Continuing our love affair with the past a ‘Twiggy-esque’ photograph from the archive offered the inspiration behind swinging 60’s collection ‘Heritage’ (with geo monochrome prints) standing loud and proud in our fashion room, catching the eye of fashion virtuosos from Prima and Woman + Home. Another grand salute to heritage print Pelham is the rerelease of the original ‘Pelham’ silk scarf that Laura and Bernard Ashley first made during our humble beginnings!

We wonder which of our stylish new pieces you can expect on the pages of our favourite fashion titles next season? Which items from photos below have caught your eye? We’d love to hear your thoughts below…

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The launch of our Laura Ashley memories competition has not only kicked off an influx of heart warming customer stories but it has also got us reminiscing about the past right here in Laura Ashley HQ. One of the most endearing photo journeys is our very own Head of Home Buying Liz Mouat’s long-standing romance with the brand. Growing up in Staffordshire her local Laura Ashley was Newcastle Under Lyme, where she had fond memories of buying clothes and fabric with her mum. To think one day she’d be heading up our home buying department! Maybe it was meant to be? Here Liz looks back…

Aged 7 in my purple Laura Ashley dress with Paddington Bear…

This photo was taken by my Uncle John in 1981 and it was my party dress! It was a long dress so I felt very grown up: it was long sleeved and had a frill around the neck line and front yolk. I am holding a plaster cast of Paddington Bear that I had made and painted. I think I was very proud of it!

Aged 14 with my sister in my handmade striped dress…

Here I am wearing a dress and jacket that I made myself. I enjoyed Textiles and Art at school and went on to study Textiles at University. I made lots of my own clothes including this little number in a lovely cornflower blue and white stripe Laura Ashley fabric. I was clearly going for the nautical look as I teamed it with my school boater!

Aged 15 with my sister in a Laura Ashley Cream Sailor Dress…

Here I am on the left with my younger sister Katie. We were dressed up for my Grandfathers birthday in 1989. I am wearing one of my favourite dresses and I still have it. It was cream linen 1920’s style with a dropped waist, gathered skirt and pleats on the top section. I would wear a knitted scarf square that was folded into a triangle around the shoulders. Katie is also wearing a Laura Ashley outfit; a classic sailor two piece! My Mum had us posing on the old pony cart in the garden, which I thought was hilarious at the time.

Aged 17 at my first Christmas ball…

In this picture I am with my two best school friends and we were very excited about our school Christmas ball. We had new shoes, bags and the long gloves that you can see. I am on the left wearing a floor length black velvet dress from Laura Ashley. It had black chiffon around the neck that draped around the back into a bow. The dress is still at my Mums house and my niece who is 9 has her eyes on it. She, like most of us girls, loves dressing up in long dresses!

Liz with her sister on holiday a few weeks ago

Do you have any fond Laura Ashley memories or photos from the past? Upload your old snaps to our Laura Ashley Memories competition on facebook and you could be in with a chance of winning a £1,000 gift card and tour of our London archive. Or why not take a trip down memory lane and help us pick the most endearing memories so far (for your chance to win a £200 gift card). Take a look here at all the submitted entries…

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Toasting our 60^th anniversary this month and our recently launched Laura Ashley Memories competition on facebook (to win a £1,000 gift card + tour of our London archive), has got all the ladies and gents at Laura Ashley HQ feeling nostalgic too. Here are just some of the memories and snaps that have recently landed on the blog editorial desk from our colleagues and dear Laura Ashley friends…

Fay Williams: Designer Home Gifts & Accessories

This is a snap of me in my pretty blue Laura Ashley frock on a family holiday (with parents and grandparents) to a UK Pontins holiday park circa 1988. The crocodile was one of the kids club characters! I remember having a fantastic time as you can see from my smiley face. I would have been about 9 at the time I think, and my sister Sophie would have been about 6. I’m the girl at the back and my sister is at the front. My sister actually had a matching dress but unfortunately she isn’t wearing hers in this picture!

Helen Balkham- Head of Fashion Design

Helen aged 3 in her Laura Ashley frock and Helen today wearing our Floral Print Silk Collarless Shirt 

This is me aged just 3 (circa 1976) in my favourite Laura Ashley floral dress. This picture reminds me of long hot summer days playing with my friends in the garden. Even though it is a party dress I loved running around and playing outside in it.

Melisa Hensey: Product Manager, Mail Order & Ecommerce Department

I bought this nautical Laura Ashley dress in Richmond in the Summer of 1988, when I was expecting my daughter Sinead and often wore it as a maternity dress. The photo was taken at Sinead’s 3rd birthday party (September 1991), which we held in a local church hall. We invited around twenty 3 year olds so it was all a bit noisy but great fun! One boy cried for his Mummy and went home early. Crazy to think he is now 25 years old and 6ft!

Inspire any Laura Ashley memories of your own? We would love to hear them! To enter our Laura Ashley Memories competition to be in with a chance of winning a £1,000 gift card + tour of the London archive click here to get started. Or why not have a browse of all the memories uploaded in our galleries so far! Help us pick the most endearing memory by clicking on the heart of your favourite memory. Everyone who votes gets entered into a prize draw to win a £200 gift card! #lauraashley60

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Allow us to introduce you to our must-have summer style: florals! Hues of bright printed floral blooms are high on our stylish agenda, mixing in with our neutral staples, there’s no better way to freshen and brighten up your wardrobe for summer.

We enlisted Claire, blogger at Jazz Pad, to handpick her favourite floral fancies to create a bloomin’ stylish outfit…

Pink Sheer Pleat Blouse / Floral Print Linen Pencil Skirt

Florals for us mean one thing: summer has officially arrived. Long gone are the stuffy days of granny floral… let us introduce you to the seriously stylish and bang up to date modern florals. Taking centre stage is our new Pretty Modern collection, an explosion of floral bloom prints with zingy hues of orange and raspberry.

Fashionista Claire told us…

When Laura Ashley asked me to showcase my favourite floral look, I fell head over heels for the Floral Print Pencil Skirt. It’s complimentary colours of lemon and lilacs are subtle, but scream summer sophistication! Perfect for a wedding or garden party, as soon as I saw the Sheer Pink Blouse I knew it would be the perfect accomplice. The raspberry shade is a lush colour pop and such a transitional piece for my wardrobe. The tucked in sheer blouse allows the skirt to do all the fashionable talking, and the gentle pleating on the back is really flattering! To bring the look together, I threw on a slim waist belt for a modern twist and to add an edgier touch to the outfit. For casual days I cannot wait to pair with a denim jacket and headscarf for a lazy afternoon picnic!

We love the way Claire has styled our must-have pieces from our Pretty Modern collection! Have you embraced your floral side?

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We can’t quite believe it has been 60 years since Laura and Bernard Ashley first started printing fabric on their kitchen table in Pimlico (London) in 1953. To toast our 60^th anniversary this month we are inviting you to take a trip down memory lane (here on our facebook page) and share your old photos and Laura Ashley memories from the last 60 years! It can be anything nostalgic, from wearing your first Victoriana style smock or wedding gown to your mum’s favourite printed curtains and matching bedspread… we’d love to hear it all!

Judged by a panel of Laura Ashley judges, the person who shares the most endearing memory will win a whopping £1,000 gift card (imagine the kind of shopping spree you could do with that!) plus a rare tour of our London archive (usually under lock and key) and meet our wonderful and hugely insightful archivist Angela.

Simply click here to get started on our facebook page…

Don’t have a memory / old snap? Help us decide on our favourite memory and like us here to look at the gallery of entrants so far. Everyone who votes will also been entered into a draw to win a £200 Laura Ashley gift card.

To help jog your Laura Ashley memories we’ve dug out some of our favourite photographs from the archive… Look familiar?!

Feeling inspired?! See you on the Laura Ashley facebook page for more memories!

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When it comes to having fabulous style, it’s all in the detail. Whether that be an on-trend statement necklace or that iconic bag of the season, there is no quicker way to update your wardrobe for next season’s style with a few, well chosen key accessories. Invest in easy to wear pieces that can transform any look, from zero to hero in moments! We handpicked our favourite pieces to carry you through the stylish summer season…

Buckle Handle Shopper Bag / Animal Print Sunglasses / Brown Plaited Strap Sandals / Cabochon Dress Ring / Perching Bird Print Scarf / Green Glass Drop Earrings 

Minty cool and aqua hues are the shades of the season, and it’s easier than ever to inject this refreshing colour into your daily style. Simply mix in with neutral tan basics and let just one key mint accessory do the talking. The mint cocktail ring is one of the must-have pieces currently on our style radar, super wearable in such a beautiful shade… it radiates statement glamour! If scarves are more your area of expertise, this perching bird scarf gives a nod to nature – adding a cheery note to your spring / summer wardrobe (as well as beating the early morning chill).

Multi Chain Graduated Link Necklace / Metal Hinged Bamboo Bracelet / Leather Buckle Handle Strap Shopper / Peep-Toe Wedge Heels / Shadow Stripe Scarf / Orange Mock Snakeskin Purse 

There’s nothing like a pop of coral for a much needed summer pick me up (and boy do we need it). The peep-toe cork wedges are perfect for stepping forward into the new season, flattering and comfortable to wear these sling back wedges will take you from day to night. Or if you’re in need of a new purse, this orange mock snake skin offering will stylishly update your handbag contents. Another excuse to whip out your statement purse on your next shopping spree! Some Girl math at it’s finest!

Have any of the items in our edit caught your eye? Let us know your favourite!

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Back in the early days of Laura Ashley, before CAD packages catapulted us into the 21^st century, the fashion designers at Laura Ashley would draw their charming designs by hand. One of our favourite past times in the archive is flicking through the beautifully crafted fashion illustrations, which are all very stylised and unique to the designer that was drawing them at the time. Note their fab hair styles and almost doll like faces!

As with many famous fashion designers, Laura Ashley did not illustrate herself but had a very clear direction / vision which was brought to life through her team. On some of the illustrations you can see Laura’s annotations, often from when she was being faxed drawings from designers during her trips away or when she was unavailable in the office.

To celebrate our 60^th anniversary and the original archive illustrations, we have printed and framed three one-off illustrative prints (see right of hero image) which can be won on our Twitter page @LauraAshleyUK! Simply Tweet the following for your chance to have one of these rare pretty prints hanging on your wall at home…

Picture this! RT+FOLLOW @LauraAshleyUK to win 1 of 3 of these adorable framed prints of our archive illustrations http://bit.ly/16SW49F

Give-away ends Tuesday 28th May.

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Housed at the elegant Pizhanger Manor, country retreat of British architect Sir John Soane, sits newly opened style exhibition Second Nature. Curated by Gemma Williams, a previous archivist at Laura Ashley, Gemma has unraveled the unique relationship between fashion design and the natural environment.

With the natural world being a constant source for fashion design, even still in this modern day, nature holds a strong influence over changing fashion trends. Its presence can be found through prints, patterns, fabrics and even silhouette design.

Bringing together over 40 designers and artists from all around the world, the exhibition displays an array of awe-inspiring pieces, featuring our very own floral printed Laura Ashley dress from the 70’s!

Welcoming you as you walk in, this Laura Ashley dress on display was handpicked by our dedicated archivist Angela. A devotee of country living style, this 70’s style floral became a notion of British style, redefining nature in printed pattern form.  Nature influences are still very present at Laura Ashley today (only with a modern twist). You can see this in our Royal Bloom collection which plays true to our floral inspired roots.

Around the corner lays two wonderful greenhouse structures, playing host to a collection of fashion pieces from other contemporary designers.

Alex Mullin, Giles, Roland Mouret and Roksanda Ilioncic. 

Antonio Berardi, Cong Tri, Donna Karen and Fyodor Golan. 

Curator Gemma documents how fashion and the seasons reflect each other, with spring/summer and autumn/winter being the foundations in both the fashion industry and the nature cycle.

Temperley London, Yiqing Yin, Peter Pilotto and Wali Barrech.

Hamish Morrow, Zandra Rhodes, Michael Kampe and Felicity Brown. 

Not only influencing print and pattern, but also the silhouette of nature can be interpreted in many ways.

Get interactive with the sound track from Stephen Paul Basford

Swash, Heligan Gardens. 

Tucked away, follow the exhibition into the Cabinet of Curiosities. Inspired by Sir John Soane’s collection of objects from the natural world, the exhibition displays an array of quirky fashion accessories…

Moth Face Mask by Piers Atkinson.

Adjacent to the gallery is the Pitzhanger Manor House, designed by architect Sir John Soane, the exhibition draws on his fascination for nature. Set in the beautiful gardens that surround the manor house, be sure to bring along a picnic and enjoy the scenery before taking a tour of the listed manor house, which is open to the public to enjoy.

Will you popping on down to the Second Nature gallery?

 Second Nature Exhibition,

17^th May – 7^th July,

Free to Attend,

PM Gallery & House, London.  

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Smart phone obsessive? We know how you feel! Whether it’s planning our next adventure with friends, catching up on our latest emails or snapping a tasty foodie pic – we know the score! With technology getting seriously stylish, it’s easier than ever to add a chic touch to your phone and keep it protected.

Flaunt your style credentials with our very own Laura Ashley on-trend printed offerings, from butterfly fancies to bold florals – become a techno-trendsetter.  A simple way to rise your fashion standing, extend your stylish personality and change cases to suit your go-to trend of the moment!

To treat our stylish readers, we are running an exciting competition on Twitter where you will have the chance to win one of four iPhone cases and USB’s we are giving away!

Simply pop over to our Twitter page and tweet:

GADGET GIRL BLOG Give-Away! RT+FOLLOW @LauraAshleyUK to #WIN 1 of these Phone cases+memory stick: 4 for grabs! http://bit.ly/10DPQTt

Get tweeting, fingers crossed and good luck!

Winners will be announced on Wednesday the 15^th May, follow @LauraAshleyUK to find out if you’re a winner!

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