Laura Ashley: History, Products, and Where to Buy in 2025

Few homeware brands have a story quite like Laura Ashley’s. It started as a kitchen-table textile business in 1953, grew into a global name, faced administration in 2020, and is now entering a new chapter under Marquee Brands with its classic bedding, curtains, and wallpaper available in the US and UK — though in very different ways.

Founded: 1953 ·
First shop: 1955 ·
Entered administration: 2020 ·
Acquired by Marquee Brands: 2025

Five key dates and facts, one pattern: the brand has reinvented itself multiple times — from scarf maker to global retailer, then to a licensed online brand.

How did Laura Ashley start?

Laura Ashley began as a textile business started by Laura and Bernard Ashley in 1953, printing fabric and headscarves at home in London (Laura Ashley USA, official brand site). The first official shop opened in Machynlleth, Wales in 1955 (Laura Ashley UK, official brand site), and the first London store followed in 1961.

• 1953 – Kitchen-table start in London (Next UK, retail partner history page)
• 1955 – First shop in Machynlleth (Laura Ashley UK)
• 1961 – First London shop (Laura Ashley UK)

What this means: the brand’s origins are deeply rooted in small-scale, handcrafted production — a far cry from the global licensing operation it has become.

What products does Laura Ashley offer?

Laura Ashley’s homeware range today includes bedding, curtains, wallpaper, furniture, and home accessories. The US site explicitly markets “elegant bedding and wallpaper” (Laura Ashley USA homepage). The UK range, hosted by Next, covers the same categories plus some furniture lines (Next UK, retail partner).

• Bedding – duvet covers, sheets, pillowcases in signature floral prints
• Curtains – ready-made and made-to-measure
• Wallpaper – classic patterns, many reissued from archives
• Furniture – occasional tables, chairs, upholstered pieces

The trade-off: the product range is narrower than in the 1980s heyday, but the focus on homeware — which accounted for 80% of the business before the 2020 administration (The Business of Fashion, business news publication) — remains sharp.

Where can I buy Laura Ashley bedding, curtains, wallpaper, and furniture?

Availability depends on your region. In the United States, the official online store is Laura Ashley USA, which sells bedding, wallpaper, and home decor directly. In the United Kingdom, Laura Ashley homeware is sold exclusively through the Next UK website under a licensing agreement. The brand no longer operates physical retail stores in either country.

• USA: lauraashleyusa.com — full range of bedding, wallpaper, gifts
• UK: next.co.uk/laura-ashley — bedding, curtains, wallpaper, furniture
• Other regions: licensing partners vary; no direct international shipping from the US site

The catch: if you’re in Europe, you may need to rely on third-party retailers or import from the UK, as the brand’s international distribution remains fragmented.

Who owns Laura Ashley now?

After entering administration in March 2020, Laura Ashley was bought by Gordon Brothers, a US-based asset management firm (The Business of Fashion). In January 2025, Marquee Brands — the owner of Martha Stewart, Sur La Table, and other lifestyle brands — acquired Laura Ashley (Laura Ashley USA, official brand site).

• 2020 – Gordon Brothers acquires the brand after administration
• 2025 – Marquee Brands becomes the new owner

Why this matters: Marquee Brands has a track record of revitalizing heritage lifestyle brands through licensing and e-commerce, which suggests Laura Ashley may see a similar digital-first, partnership-driven future.

Timeline of key events

• 1953 – Laura and Bernard Ashley start printing fabric at home (Laura Ashley USA)
• 1955 – First shop opens in Machynlleth (Laura Ashley UK)
• 1961 – First London shop opens (Laura Ashley UK)
• 1970s – International expansion to Europe, US, Australia (Laura Ashley UK)
• 1985 – Laura Ashley dies; 220 stores globally (The Business of Fashion)
• 2020 – Administration; bought by Gordon Brothers (The Business of Fashion)
• 2025 – Acquired by Marquee Brands (Laura Ashley USA)

The pattern: each major ownership change has coincided with a strategic pivot — from retail to licensing, from physical to digital.

What is confirmed and what is still unclear?

The trade-off: the brand’s digital transformation has made it more accessible to online shoppers, but fans of the in-store experience have little to look forward to in the short term.

Expert perspectives on the brand’s journey

Laura Ashley began as a textile business started by Laura and Bernard Ashley in 1953, initially printing fabric and headscarves at home.

— Laura Ashley USA (official brand site)

By the time of Laura Ashley’s death in 1985, the company had 220 stores globally.

— The Business of Fashion (business news publication)

The contrast: from a single kitchen table to 220 stores — and then back to a licensing model — is a reminder of how quickly retail fortunes can turn.

Summary

Laura Ashley’s story is one of reinvention. What began as a small textile studio in 1953 became a global retail powerhouse, only to collapse in 2020 and re-emerge as a digital-first, licensing-driven brand under Marquee Brands. For US shoppers, the brand is now a direct-to-consumer online retailer; for UK shoppers, it lives on through Next. The brand’s floral heritage remains intact, but its future will be shaped by how well Marquee Brands can translate that heritage into a modern, multi-channel proposition. For the homeware enthusiast in the US, the choice is clear: embrace the convenience of online ordering, or wait to see if physical stores ever return.

For a comprehensive overview of the brand’s journey and current offerings, see this detailed Laura Ashley guide.

Frequently asked questions