The rise and fall and rise of Laura Ashley

Shahesta Shaitly “Can Laura Ashley be edgy?” http://www.guardian.co.uk/fashion/2012/feb/26/uniqlo-laura-ashley-fashion-collaboration

ユニクロとコラボしたローラ･アシュレイ*1の盛衰について；

Laura Ashley was a pioneer in her time. In 1953, while working as a secretary, she was fascinated by trends in continental Europe (Roman Holiday was a particular inspiration), so she invested £10 in some screen-printing kit and, on the kitchen table of her tiny London flat, kick-started our love affair with itty-bitty English lawn florals and kitsch, overblown prints. Her home furnishings and headscarves proved popular, and she moved the operation out of her home and into clothing manufacturing in the 60s. Soon, the label came to encapsulate romantic English country designs: think floor-length floral dresses with high, ruffled necks and long sleeves.

While Laura Ashley is still very much responsible for middle England's taste in wallpaper and cushion covers, its clothing has been seen as fusty and out of step with the fashion world since the late 1980s. Following Ashley's death, after a fall in 1985, the brand began to fade; puffy sleeves and "pilgrim chic" had lost their cool and the label became associated with vicars' wives and Sloane Rangers.

”Over the years, Laura Ashley has tended towards the gaudier end of the market, conjuring thoughts of maiden aunts, and children dressed up for their confirmation service.”とも書かれている。

ローマの休日 [DVD] FRT-096

*1:http://www.lauraashley.com/