LAURA ASHLEY MARTIN WOOD Book Number: 72052 Product format: Hardback Drawn from first-hand accounts of Laura Ashley's family, friends and co...
LAURA ASHLEY MARTIN WOOD Book Number: 72052 Product format: Hardback Drawn from first-hand accounts of Laura Ashley's family, friends and colleagues, this is not only the story of a remarkable woman, but also of an extraordinary partnership and the creation of a highly successful and influential brand. Against the background of Laura's life - from her birth in South Wales in 1925 to her sudden and untimely death in 1985 - the author chronicles the designs, products and intrinsic style which are the essence of this iconic print and fashion house. He describes how she and her husband, Bernard worked together as a team, combining his drive, business acumen and appreciation of colour and design with her taste, eye for fashion and unerring ability to spot a trend. Beginning with the textiles they designed and printed at the kitchen table of their three-room flat in the 1950s, this is the compelling history of how, when they began designing and selling dresses and other clothes, and launched a range of household textiles and furnishing, the 'Laura Ashley Style' quickly became a phenomenon. Initially, Bernard delivered all the orders on his motorbike on the way to work - later splashing out and buying a battered old van for £30. When they transferred the business to a small workshop, he built his own continuous fixing oven, which regularly caught fire, filling the room with fumes. But many of their designs were bought by hotels, universities and cruise ships and the business ... Less
