Laura Ashley centenary inspires next generation as Welsh students showcase designs

Adam Johannes

Students at a Welsh university have been given a rare opportunity to work with one of Britain’s most iconic brands after Laura Ashley set a live design brief to mark what would have been its founder’s 100th birthday.

The exhibition of work from Surface Pattern and Textiles students at University of Wales Trinity Saint David’s Swansea College of Art forms part of Laura Ashley: 100 Years of an Icon, a year-long celebration honouring the legacy of the Welsh-born designer whose romantic florals and timeless interiors became a household name.

Laura Ashley was born in Dowlais, Merthyr Tydfil, and began designing printed while working as a secretary and raising her young family.

The business started modestly in an attic flat in Pimlico, London, where Ashley created napkins, table mats and tea towels while her husband Bernard built a printing machine. Their initial investment amounted to £10 – wood for a screen frame, dyes, and a few yards of linen.

The turning point came after Ashley visited a Women’s Institute exhibition of traditional handicrafts at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Looking for Victorian-patterned fabric scraps for patchwork, she discovered they simply weren’t available. The absence suggested a possibility. In 1953, she began printing Victorian-style headscarves herself.

Chance did the rest. Audrey Hepburn, already becoming a global symbol of elegance, appeared in Roman Holiday wearing a headscarf, and the image travelled quickly. What Hepburn wore, others wanted. The Ashleys’ scarves found a ready market, and a small home enterprise began to take on the shape of a business.

The family moved back to Wales in 1961, opening their first shop at 35 Maengwyn Street, Machynlleth before expanding production in Carno, Montgomeryshire, where the company developed into a global brand.

That history formed the backdrop to the Swansea College of Art project, where students were invited to explore the company’s London archive before creating contemporary collections inspired by Laura Ashley’s distinctive heritage. The brief challenged them to reinterpret classic themes while developing work shaped by their own creative vision.

For many students, working directly with a major brand offered a first taste of professional life in the competitive design industry, from early research and concept development through to presenting finished work to industry experts.

Winner

On February 3, representatives from Laura Ashley visited the college to review the collections, giving students the chance to present their ideas directly to the brand’s design and marketing teams and receive professional feedback.

The exhibition featured contemporary interpretations of the brand’s signature florals alongside new pattern designs for wallpapers, textiles, tiles and womenswear. While drawing on Laura Ashley’s heritage, the collections introduced fresh approaches to colour, pattern and storytelling.

Third year student Sarah Davies was named overall winner for her collection Regency Romance, which combined hand-painted watercolours with digital pattern design to create neoclassical-inspired interiors, textiles and homeware pieces. She received a Laura Ashley hamper and an exclusive mentorship opportunity with the company.

Davies said the opportunity built students confidence as they prepare to enter the design world: “This was an invaluable experience, enabling me to apply my skills in a professional setting and gain insight into industry expectations.”

Laura Ashley representatives praised the overall standard of work, saying Davies’ collection stood out for feeling both true to the brand and relevant to contemporary audiences.

They also highlighted the growing relationship with Swansea College of Art and the importance of supporting emerging designers connected to the company’s Welsh roots.

Industry collaborations are a key feature of the Surface Pattern and Textiles course. Programme Manager Georgia McKie said partnerships like the Laura Ashley project help bring learning to life by exposing students to the pace and expectations of professional practice.

UWTSD is currently ranked first in Wales and among the UK’s top five universities for Fashion and Textiles in the Guardian League Tables 2026.