Exploring the Archives

One of the biggest blogger faux-pas is to forget your camera.  If you have an important event coming up, it's akin to the feeling of forgetting your gloves on a freezing day.  Even more annoying than that?  Forgetting the battery.  A rare charging cost me the chance to take some decent pictures of the Laura Ashley press day a little while ago, frustrating especially because they'd set up a section of their vintage clothing archive at the entrance.  Think sailor dresses, wallpaper florals and tartan midis rivalling any 2012 find.  As someone who has stumbled across a few of their past pieces myself, I've always been fascinated by the brand's heritage and how unique each piece can be.  Founded in 1953, the company was a way for Ashley to make her private dream world a reality and breath new life into traditional 19th century patterns and shapes.  Unable to find the kind of fabric she wanted for some patchwork quilts, she set up a makeshift print studio in her kitchen and started off an aesthetic that would eventually be loved for its romantic feel.  Luckily the pieces I saw had a permanent home and I swiftly arranged a visit to see the collection at their West London headquarters with Olivia, complete with a fully-charged camera and empty memory card.  At long last I've managed to edit down the snaps of a rare productive morning, so here's a hint of what the archives have to offer.

As you may know I love a room when it's bursting at the seams and the archive housed plenty of drawers, shelves and folders full of preserved vintage inspiration.  Even the calendar is from 1977 and occasionally accurate!  We were able to rifle through piles of sketches and press cuttings, complete with a few dubious styling choices but charming nonetheless.  Laura Ashley is one of those fortunate brands with such a distinctive style to draw upon for future designs; there's an even larger collection of clothing and fabrics situated in Wales that is no doubt a dressing-up paradise.  As someone who's a fledgling designer, it was fascinating to see the notes on the carbon copied sketches complete with seemingly tiny costings.  No Illustrator here, I had to wonder what it would be like designing without the procrastinating nature of Pinterest and overwhelming access to worldwide trends.  Their campaigns also had a bit of a rock n' roll edge, with members of The Clash and The Slits donning her wares in some candid snaps taken by daughter Jane Ashley. 

Do you have any vintage Laura Ashley pieces?  Here are a few of mine which have popped up on this blog before, found in my local charity shop, via eBay and even at a vintage sale in New York (why oh why did I cut the dress).  I'm sure this isn't my last visit to the archives and I'm secretly hoping they reissue a few of the designs.  A shorter version of that sailor dress has my name on it.  These days fashion trends are a lot broader and increasingly determined by personal style, so I could see some of the collars, lace inserts and country-inspired prints taking on a new lease of life in 2013.



If you're curious about finding out more Laura Ashley facts, there's a handy heritage section on their website.

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