Laura Ashley’s first shop, 35 Heol Maengwyn, Machynlleth

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Self-taught textile and fashion designer Laura Ashley opened her first shop here, in 1961. Her company grew to encompass 500 shops around the world and 14 UK factories. The photo of Laura in her Carno design studio is shown here courtesy of Laura Ashley IP Holdings.

Photo of Laura Ashley in her Carno design studioThe building, including number 37, is now home to The Deco Shop. The structure is much older than the Victorian frontage. The roof beams are thought to date from c.1700.

Laura Mountney grew up in a small house in the industrial town of Dowlais Top, near Merthyr Tydfil. She married Bernard Ashley, who worked in the City of London, in 1948. In the 1950s they taught themselves how to print fabrics on the kitchen table of their flat in Pimlico, London. Her style was influenced by Victorian décor and visits to the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

She and Bernard set up the Ashley Mountney Company and in 1953 began printing small textile prints for objects such as scarves and tea towels which went to small retailers. As larger orders came in, including from John Lewis stores, they opened a small factory in Kent.

The company had been renamed Laura Ashley by 1961, when the couple opened their first shop here. They had moved, with their four children, from Kent to the Dolgellau area, living in tents beside the Mawddach estuary for several months!

They opened the Tybrith factory in nearby Carno in 1963. It later relocated to the railway station, where there was space nearby for a larger factory. The focus was still on everyday objects until 1966, when Laura began to produce dresses. Her designs were just what many costumers wanted as the mini skirt and other fashions of the 1960s waned. The 1970s and 1980s saw the opening of Laura Ashley shops as far afield as Japan, Australia and the USA, supplied by additional factories in Wales. The brand developed a strong reputation for curtains, blinds, bedding and other home furnishings.

The company was floated on the London Stock Exchange in 1986, but Laura didn’t live to see this transition. She died, aged 60, in 1985 after falling down a flight of stairs around the time of her birthday celebration.

In March 2020 the Laura Ashley company filed for administration, after the Covid-19 pandemic scuppered an attempt to rescue the business.

With thanks to Ann Evans

Postcode: SY20 8EB    View Location Map

Website of The Deco Shop

Website of Mid Wales Pioneers – celebrating Laura Ashley and other Powys pioneers

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