The Eternal Influence of Laura Ashley
Clockwise from top right; Laura Ashley floral smock dresses, Laura Ashley Bride 1986, Spring/Summer 1984, Sara Freeman and Emma Ashley in the late-1960s, 1986 catalogue
© Laura Ashley Ltd
Laura Ashley became a name in fashion during the 1960s and 1970s, reaching a peak in the 1980s and 90s with her famous floral prints, distinctive Victoriana inspired dresses, velvet jackets and petticoats. Ashley saw a market for women seeking comfort and escapism from today’s world, by looking (albeit with somewhat rose tinted spectacles) to the past and feeling nostalgia for a different time long gone.
References to romantic heroines such as Tess and Bathsheba from Thomas Hardy’s novels, Catherine from Wuthering Heights, Austen’s Emma and Elizabeth from Pride & Prejudice helped cement the brands iconic look. Ashley mastered the delicate balance in successfully combining historic detailing with the fashion trends of the time.
It cannot be too much of a coincidence that vintage Laura Ashley dresses are having a bit of a revival, as we are going through what is for many a time of struggle that lacks precedence. There is a comfort to be found in garments that have lasted through times, but also in timeless styles. Of the new successful fashion brands in the current spotlight, many looking back for inspiration and applying methods successful in the past; hand sewing garments, using vintage fabric or reinterpreting shapes and designs. The brands who take influence from Laura Ashley and her heyday.
Batsheva Hay (you couldn’t make up a more suitable name), launched her eponymous label Bathsheva in 2016. Inspired by vintage dresses from Laura Ashley and its American counterpart Gunne Sax, her collections draw on an unapologetically feminine aesthetic – think pie crust collars, many frills, florals pattens and puffy shoulders. The nods to todays trends are dresses made from PVC or with punchy leopard print. Each design is a nod to a historical American piece, from classic prairie styles to floaty 1970s boho dresses.
The exquisite dresses from brand Horror Vacui (the name refers to the Latin phrase ‘fear of emptiness’) are maximalist down to every single detail. After working for the family’s sewing business for over 10 years, Anna Heinrichs founded the brand in 2014, creating dresses inspired by nightgowns from the 15th and 16th century. The feminine silhouette is, as with Bathsheva, the main focus, along with ruffles and intricate floral prints and patterns. The scalloped edges and traditional tailoring mixed with what they themselves refer to as ‘urban edge’ has built the brands trademark style.
What Kate Moss has described as “Little House on the Prairie dresses” gone luxe comes from the British brand The Vampires Wife. Founded in 2014 by Susie Cave, along with her friend and business partner Alex Adamson, the brand that started with a small capsule collection is now a global phenomenon, with many dresses making regular appearances on the red carpet. The Vampires Wife designs dresses women feel comfortable and feminine yet sexy in, combining luxurious materials with old-fashioned sensible cuts.
As the Bath & Wiltshire Evening Chronicle (Bath was the location of Laura Ashley’s first shop iutside London) confidently stated in 1982 “We’ll never reach the end of the desire for country style skirts, high necked blouses and simple smocks. They’re just one of those looks that is here to stay forever.”
From Horror Vacui’s Spring/Summer 2018 Collection
Batsheva dresses, clockwise from top right; Resort 2019, Founder Batsheva Hay, Spring 2019, Fall 2018 Ready-to-Wear, Lucy Boynton wearing the brand
The Vampires Wife, clockwise from top right; writer Pandora Sykes, floral print maxi dress, Alexa Chung, printed mini dress, founder Susie Cave
From the 'Laura Ashley: The Romantic Heroine’ exhibition at Bath Fashion Museum in 2013, celebrating the brands 60th anniversary
© Freia Turland
From the 'Laura Ashley: The Romantic Heroine’ exhibition at Bath Fashion Museum in 2013, celebrating the brands 60th anniversary