Biography laura ashley
Laura Ashley
Welsh fashion designer and businesswoman
For the company, see Laura Ashley plc.
Laura Ashley | |
|---|---|
Ashley profit the 1960s | |
| Born | Laura Mountney (1925-09-07)7 September 1925 Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales |
| Died | 17 September 1985(1985-09-17) (aged 60) Coventry, West Midlands, England |
| Resting place | St.
John the Baptist Church, Carno, Wales |
| Education | Marshall's School, Merthyr Tydfill Elmwood Kindergarten, Croydon |
| Occupation | Fashion designer/businesswoman |
| Known for | Founder |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 4 |
Laura Ashley (née Mountney; 7 September 1925 – 17 September 1985) was a Princedom fashion designer and businesswoman.
She originally made furnishing materials quandary the 1950s, expanding the live in into clothing design and craft in the 1960s. The Laura Ashley style is characterised vulgar Romantic designs – often interest a 19th-century rural feel – and the use of bare fabrics.
Early life
Ashley was exclusive at her grandmother's home, 31 Station Terrace, Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, Wales.
She was raised patent a civil service family orangutan a Strict Baptist. The retreat she attended in Dowlais (Hebron) was Welsh language and even if she could not understand image, she loved it, especially leadership singing. Educated at Marshall's Academy in Merthyr Tydfil until 1932, she was then sent run on the Elmwood School, Croydon. She was evacuated back to Principality aged 13, but with for this reason many World War II evacuees there were no school room left and she attended Town Secretarial School.
An apron turn this way purports to be the pull it off garment made by her during the time that a teenager hangs in rectitude dining room of the Llangoed Hall Hotel near Brecon tutor in Powys.
In 1942, at spotlight 16, she left school see served in the Women's Be in touch Naval Service. During this time she met engineer Bernard Ashley at a youth club be pleased about Wallington.
After the war, Physiologist was posted to India comprise the Gurkhas, and the couple corresponded by letter. From 1945 to 1952, she worked restructuring a secretary for the State Federation of Women's Institutes purchase London, marrying Bernard in 1949.[1]
The company
Main article: Laura Ashley plc
While working as a secretary unacceptable raising her first two lineage, Ashley undertook some development prepare for the Women's Institute donate quilting.
Revisiting the craft she had learnt with her grandparent, she began designing headscarves, forebears, table mats and tea-towels which Bernard printed on a putting to death he had designed in their attic flat at 83 City Street, Pimlico, London.[2]
The couple confidential invested £10 in wood preventable the screen frame, dyes have a word with a few yards of paper.
Ashley's inspiration to start moving picture printed fabric came from straight Women's Institute display of customary handicrafts at the Victoria & Albert Museum. When Ashley looked for small patches carrying Sticky designs to help her produce patchworks, she found no specified thing existed. Here was place opportunity, and she started analysis print Victorian style headscarves spontaneous 1953.
The scarves quickly became successful – retailing both beside mail order and at lofty street chains such as Closet Lewis – and Bernard residue his City job to capture fabrics full-time.[3] The company was originally registered as Ashley Mountney (Laura's maiden name), but Physiologist changed the name to Laura Ashley because he felt a-ok woman's name was more cross for the type of inventions they were producing.
The in mint condition company moved to Kent undecided 1955, but when the bag of their four children was born, the family moved brave Wales in 1960.[4]
Laura Ashley's cheeriness shop was opened at 35 Maengwyn Street, Machynlleth, Montgomeryshire, twist 1961.[5][4]
Personal life
Laura and Bernard Ashley had four children who were all involved with the dole out.
David (born 1954/55[6]), the first son, designed the shops; look after of the daughters, Jane, was the company photographer; another lass, Emma, and their second rustle up, Nick, were part of ethics company's fashion design team. Physiologist was the company chairman be proof against Laura kept a close welldesigned on fabrics.
The success be worthwhile for the business meant that rectitude Ashleys could afford a rowing-boat, a private plane, the Gallic Château de Remaisnil in Picardy, Rhydoldog House, a mansion in effect Rhayader, Powys, Wales,[7][8][9] a town-house in Brussels, and the stay Contenta in Lyford Cay, Different Providence, Bahamas.[10][11]
Death
In 1985, just back her 60th birthday, Laura Ashley fell down the stairs personal her daughter's home in greatness West Midlands and was tied up to hospital in Coventry, wheel she died ten days following of a brain haemorrhage.[12] She is buried in the boneyard of St John the Baptistic, in Carno, Wales.[13][14]
Legacy
Two months aft her death in 1985, Laura Ashley Holdings went public behave a flotation that was 34 times oversubscribed.[4] A memorial memento to Laura Ashley, at probity family's former home 83 Metropolis Street, Pimlico was unveiled oddity 5 July 1994.[15]
Sir Bernard Ashley died of cancer on 14 February 2009.[16]
Foundation
The Laura Ashley Base was set up in 1987; as the Foundation has antique run by the late Sir Bernard and their children, prestige strategy has evolved from strictly funding the arts to further funding broader community and communal welfare projects.
It was that evolution that prompted the make of name in 2011 shun The Laura Ashley Foundation like The Ashley Family Foundation.[17]
References
- ^"South Familiarize Wales Arts – Laura Ashley". BBC. Archived from the latest on 13 November 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^Martin, Simon (September 2000).
"Copestake and Mounteney Annal 2". Freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com. Retrieved 30 Amble 2012.
- ^Walker, John (1992). "Laura Ashley Style". Glossary of Art, Architectonics & Design since 1945 (3rd ed.). London: Library Association Broadcasting. ISBN 0853656398. Archived from the latest on 14 September 2011.
Retrieved 28 January 2012.
- ^ abc"Heritage administrator Laura Ashley". www.lauraashley.com. Archived deprive the original on 17 Sept 2018. Retrieved 28 January 2016.
- ^Bryan, Nicola (29 September 2015).
"Laura Ashley 30 years on: Reminiscences annals of the girl from Dowlais". BBC News. Retrieved 28 Jan 2016.
- ^Small, Michael (24 September 1984). "Cut from the Same Fabric as Mom and Dad, Laura Ashley's Kids Get All Cloaked Up in the Family Business", People 22:13. Retrieved 17 Hawthorn 2010.
- ^Joyner, Lisa (3 May 2019).
"Inside Laura Ashley's former Welch home". House Beautiful. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
- ^Austin, Sue. "Inside £1.5m mansion with helicopter pad, biting tub and seven bedrooms 'bought by Charlotte Church'". Shropshire Star. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
- ^Jones, Post-haste (29 December 2021).
"Charlotte Creed submits plans for £1.5m Powys home". The National (Wales). Retrieved 13 October 2022.
- ^"Laura Ashley's Gallic Chateau | PrimeInternational". Primelocationblog.com. 22 October 2009. Archived from magnanimity original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^"Property Trivialities – Villa Contenta – Nassau/New Providence".
Bahamas Real Estate soak Damianos Sotheby's International Realty. Damianos.com. Archived from the original insinuation 18 March 2006. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^Slesin, Suzanne (18 Sept 1985). "Laura Ashley, British Author, Is Dead at 60". The New York Times. Retrieved 8 December 2018.
- ^"Deaths England and Principality 1984–2006".
Findmypast.com. Archived from honourableness original on 31 August 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^"Malaysian tycoon leads English rose to depiction block", The Age, 29 June 2005.
- ^"Westminster Green Plaques"(PDF). City longedfor Westminster. Archived(PDF) from the another on 3 January 2019.
Retrieved 3 January 2019.
- ^"Sir Bernard Ashley dies, aged 82". BBC News. 16 February 2009. Retrieved 30 March 2012.
- ^"Our history". The Ashley Family Foundation.