Laura Ashley taps IMG for global brand expansion

Iconic brand Laura Ashley has appointed IMG to expand fashion, home and lifestyle products that reflect the British heritage brand in a fresh, modern way in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China, India and the Middle East.

The multi-year deal will see IMG work with the brand to create new Laura Ashley apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty and homeware items through carefully selected licensing and retail partnerships and collaborations.

In 2021, Laura Ashley successfully relaunched a home collection with its main retail partner NEXT on a dedicated e-commerce platform and in over 50 NEXT stores across the UK.

Carolyn D’Angelo, Managing Director, Brands at Gordon Brothers and President of Laura Ashley, says: “We are excited to be working with IMG to expand the brand globally. Following the success of our spring home collection relaunch and fall fashion collaboration last year, it is clear there is a strong customer appetite for a new wave of Laura Ashley lifestyle products. We look forward to seeing the first designs of our 2023 fashion relaunch spring to life for the brand’s 70th anniversary and for the next generation of Laura Ashley customers.”

Tim Smith, Vice President, IMG, commented: “For almost 70 years, Laura Ashley’s iconic, quality-led designs, prints and patterns have continued to inspire the most coveted styles and fashion trends around the world. We are eager to leverage this rich heritage and the Laura Ashley archive, comprising more than 98,000 pieces of unique artwork, textiles and footage, to develop relevant new fashion and lifestyle products for existing and new fans of the brand.”

For more information on Laura Ashley, visit www.lauraashley.com.

For more information on licensing opportunities in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, China, India and the Middle East, visit www.imglicensing.com.

Laura Ashley secures home furnishings partnership with Ashley Wilde

The home and lifestyle brand, Laura Ashley, has secured a new soft furnishings partnership with the global textiles specialist, Ashley Wilde. Under the deal, the British fabric company will provide all soft furnishings for the Laura Ashley home collection.

Established in 1950, Ashley Wilde Group, has a rich heritage in the textiles business and attributes its longstanding success to design, style, service and innovation.

The Laura Ashley home collection will be available at Next and is launching in spring this year. It will include bed linen, ready-made curtains, made-to-measure curtains and blinds, cushions, throws, bath towels, and mats.

The new collection will see the return of signature Laura Ashley prints alongside a range of modern florals and vintage inspired botanicals.

Simon Brodin, managing director at Ashley Wilde Group, said:”Our new relationship with Laura Ashley marks the beginning of a very exciting collaboration for Ashley Wilde; our brands share so much in terms of heritage and quality.

“It is a pleasure to work with the stunning prints that Laura Ashley is famous for and bring them to life through soft furnishings for the home. This collaborative collection is something we are very proud of.”

Poppy Marshall-Lawton, head of brand and partnerships at Laura Ashley, added: “Ashley Wilde was the perfect choice of partner to relaunch the Laura Ashley soft furnishing collections.  They have a fantastic design ethos and many years of experience creating beautiful product ranges for other leading interior and designer brands.”

Laura Ashley fashions new partnership with Graham & Brown for official wallpaper, murals and paints

Laura Ashley has entered into a new partnership with the UK wallpaper and paint manufacturer, Graham & Brown for the launch of an official paint, wallpaper, and murals collection from this spring.

The new line has been developed at Graham & Brown’s Blackburn HQ and will be sold through its distribution on over 75 countries as well as its divisions in the UK, North America, France, Holland, and China.

Alan Kemp, head of brand marketing at Graham & Brown, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with Laura Ashley and launching the collaboration in our 75th anniversary year. Both brands are synonymous with design authority and high-quality production values, as well as sharing a strong British heritage.

“We look forward to growing the relationship and supplying the Laura Ashley customer with a wonderful selection of wallpaper, paints, murals, and wall art.”

Poppy Marshall-Lawton, head of brand and partnerships at Laura Ashley, added: “It is so exciting to be able to relaunch the wallpaper and paint collection with Graham & Brown. The partnership combines Laura Ashley’s rich design heritage with Graham & Brown’s expert manufacturing.

“Graham & Brown produce truly wonderful products and we cannot wait to showcase some of our fabulous new murals and exciting new designs inspired from our archive, alongside some of our best-selling wallpaper prints. We are thrilled that this partnership means we are working with a family run brand that has established roots of manufacturing in the UK. We know our customers, old and new will be as delighted as we are with our new home range.”

Laura Ashley Home will be available in selected NEXT stores nationwide and via both lauraashley.com and next.co.uk from Spring 2021.

Fashion and Furnishing retailer Laura Ashley files for administration

The high street fashion and furnishing name, Laura Ashley is to file for administration, having failed to secure a £15m emergency loan to keep the firm from collapse.

Laura Ashley operates more than 150 British stores and employs some 2,700 people. It has stated that rescue plans for the high street name had failed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

In a statement, it said: “The Covid-19 outbreak has had an immediate and significant impact on trading, and ongoing developments indicate that this will be a sustained national situation.

“Discussions with stakeholders have been ongoing and the directors are in advanced discussions for the provisions of third-party debt funding. However, based on the company’s revised cashflow forecasts and the increased uncertainty facing the group, the company expects that it will not be in a position to draw down additional funds from third-party lenders in a timely manner sufficient to support working capital requirements.

“MUI Asia Limited – the investment company that controls Laura Ashley – has confirmed that it is unable to provide financial support in the required timeframe.”

The retailer said it intended to appoint Robert Lewis and Zelf Hussain from the accounting firm PwC as administrators to Laura Ashley and its subsidiaries, Premier Home Logistics, Laura Ashley Investments, and Texplan Manufacturing.

Four weeks ago Laura Ashley narrowly avoided collapse after agreeing an emergency deal with its main lender, the US band Wells Fargo. It then announced new plans to revive the ‘timeless’ designs of its late founder in an attempt to breathe new life into the heritage brand.

On Friday, Laura Ashley said it had “not yet seen a significant financial impact due to Covid-19” but did warn that the virus had “the potential to negatively influence future trading as a result of reduced footfall.”