Laura Ashley was a British designer, born Laura Mountney in
Wales in
1925. She became a household name on the strength of her
work as a
designer and manufacturer of a range of colourful
fabrics for
clothes and home furnishings, which were originally produced by her factory in
Newtown, Montgomeryshire. Her husband, Sir Bernard Ashley, was also her business partner. She died in
1985, following a domestic fall. The business founded in her name continues to exist, though frequently reported as being on the verge of failure.
