Fashion designer Laura Ashley was born on September 7, 1925, in Wales, England. She passed away on September 17, 1985.
She was raised in a strict Baptist family and attended church from a young age. In 1949, she married Bernard Ashley and had four children. In 1953, she and her husband started a textile printing business. Laura drew Victorian designs and Bernard printed them. Around the same time, Audrey Hepburn's headscarf in the film "Roman Holiday" popularized this style worldwide. Laura's scarves also became popular, and her business gradually expanded.
In 1966, she introduced apparel using original fabrics, and her floral prints and feminine silhouettes were popular with women. Her London boutique was so successful that it sold 4,000 dresses a week. In 1977, the company won the Queen's Award for Excellence, given to companies with outstanding business performance in the UK. Bernard was also knighted.

The business continued to expand, and the company began to offer kitchenware and perfumes. However, in 1985, Laura died in an accident at the age of 60. After Laura's death, sales stagnated, and the company continued to face internal problems, leading to financial difficulties. In 1986, the company partnered with AEON to establish a joint venture in Japan. It currently has 92 stores and mainly sells household goods.