Laura Ashley Fragrances

In 1953, Laura Ashley saw a patchwork display at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Inspired by the printed fabrics, she began experimenting with her own designs. She and her husband Bernard bought linens, dye and a screen and started making patterned floral scarves, tea towels and table linens, eventually selling them at local shops.

In 1955, the family moved to Wales and opened the first Laura Ashley shop. Here Ashley began working with a seamstress and creating her first pieces of clothing, including gardening smocks and shirts with the romantic Victorian aesthetics that characterized her linens. The Laura Ashley brand eventually expanded into Japan, Australia and the United States.

In 1985, Ashley suffered a fall which led to her passing. Two months after her death, the company went public, expanding into home accessories, home fragrance and beauty, ultimately creating a lifestyle brand.

In 1984, Ashley designed a classic floral fragrance named after her daughter Emma. It was discontinued and re-launched in 2013 for the brand's 60th anniversary. The new Emma intended to keep the original fragrance's character, but with modern elements.

Laura Ashley No.1 premiered in 1989. A feminine floral scent, it featured a hand-painted bottle. Laura Ashley No.1 was re-imagined and re-launched in 2012 with packaging that evoked the original. Dilys, another floral scent, launched in 1992 arrived in a tear-shaped bottle with an elaborate frosted glass top. Other fragrance releases included L'Eau in 1995, Magic Garden in 2000, and Exotic Amber in 2009.