ASHLEY Laura (Designer)

A Victorian-inspired, white cotton dress worn under a floral pinafore sums up the mood of romantic rural idyll that made Laura Ashley a household name. She once said that she designed for women who wanted to look "sweet": "I sensed that most people wanted to raise families, have gardens and live as nicely as they can. "She used puffed sleeves, sprig prints, pin-tucking, lace trims and high collars to make romantic references to a pastoral lifestyle, which in reality was a hard one for most. In a way that only fashion can, the look reinvented history and enabled women to dress for a role. It precipitated a movement known as "milkmaidism". In 1953, Ashley and husband Bernard began silk-screen printing textiles by hand in a small workshop in Pimlico, making table mats and napkins. In 1968 they opened their first shop, selling the basic Laura Ashley dress for £5. By the 1970s, it had become a symbol of femininity.

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