Laura Ashley was born in Wales as Laura Mountney. After marrying, Laura moved to London with her husband where they created their first fabrics in 1953 on a kitchen table using silk screening equipment. They made fabric for quilts, scarfs, aprons, potholders and just about anything they could see a need for. Following their early experiments, Ashley Mountney Ltd was born, joining Laura’s maiden name with their married name, but soon it was decided that the name of the company should be changed to Laura Ashley, to reflect better the products they were making. In 1955 they moved to Kent and then in 1961 they moved again, this time back to Wales where Laura was born. They initially set up in the vacant social club in Carno, Mongomeryshire, but moved in 1967 to the local railway station, which had been closed two years earlier. Here, the company set its foundations and grew with the development of Bernard Ashley’s first flat bed printing machine. Laura always loved everything Victorian and this greatly influenced her designs.