Laura Ashley was a British designer, born Laura Mountney in
Wales in
1925. She became a household name on the strength of her work as a designer and manufacturer of a range of colourful fabrics for clothes and home furnishings, which were originally produced by her factory in
Newtown, Montgomeryshire[?]. Her husband, Sir Bernard Ashley, was also her business partner. She died in
1985, following a domestic fall. The business founded in her name continues to exist, though frequently reported as being on the verge of failure.