Laura Ashley " Pattern of Success" 

I worked at the Georgetown (3213 M Street NW) location from 85 - 88. I would like to say I had a wonderful time working there but the General Manager "Grace" was a dreadful bully and almost everytime she visited our location she had a wicked commitment about me, so I spent a lot of time in the back of the store cutting swatches or in the dressing room making sure that the customers needed a petticoat to go with their "leg of mutton" dress.

I used a Telex at work in the 1980s before faxing was around. We are old!!!😂

I did as well… I opened the shop in Georgetown. I also did the window displays, sewing unique items from the fabrics. I was "Head of Home Furnishings" in the beginning, then became manager of the shop..

Those clothes could be worth a lot of money now.

Amen! Best dresses, sturdy& functional& beautiful! With great POCKETS!

@@lindamon5101 so true it’s what society needs right now the dresses they are trying to churn out are copies of Laura Ashley but they will never be the same quality please bring back how they use to be they were amazing xx

Yes, I had a beautiful blue tea length dress that I wore to more formal occasions. I still miss it.

I find it so hard to find cotton clothes, so comfortable.

My dear woman, cotton must be ironed!

Well that's reassuring given that they feared taxes

India prints and manufactures faster.....

I believe DELL computers did same back in 80’s. Austin Texas. Also, I believe Tesla Austin Texas has something by this way to it’s employees. Texas Instruments offered a nice package for their employees in 70’s/80’s if I am not mistaken. There are a few companies who do offer this but it is not the norm. *of course fact check my info, I may be incorrect but I believe I knew people who worked for Dell who became millionaires over shares. It was a big talk in Austin in the 2000’s. I knew of people who worked Texas Instruments and same~millionaires from shares and employment.

I got to shop in the store in Oxford 💚💜💛

I LOVED MY LAURA ASHLEY DRESSES. I WORE THEM FOR AT LEAST A DECADE. CLASSIC.

I bought two LA dresses for my wedding back in 1995 from the shop in Düsseldorf! I still have them! Great times! It's just a pity so many of the shops are closed in Europe and the US! I would still purchase the products if it were for Brexit!

Sadly everything is synthetic and disgusting nowadays . I love cotton clothing but it's getting harder and harder to find and it costs so much

Our minds used to be simpler then.

As a sewist, I hate viscose, I call it plastic, horrible quality, rips easily and I get jobs mending cheap fabric dresses.

I called this cheap and wear. The way clothing is made now, is horrible and very expensive for bad quality.

@@evarodriguezalequin5705 completely agree.

Agree!

@@AnitaSouthall sewist here too. I look for vintage sheets ar 5hrif5 etc

There are many films about Laura Ashley on RU-vid. Please feel free to subscribe to our channel. We have more interesting ones coming out in the future.

@@PVPTV2 🧡💐🙏☮️

No, you are not the only one. I feel exactly the way you feel! Love the bedding! The small prints,stripes,etc. greetings 😊🌸🇨🇦

Well, I'm with you. Since the panademic, I feel like I've been transported to another planet, filled with pessimistic, argumentive people who believe that their opinions are absolute truths. I believe that this "living in the past" philosophy comes from angry younger people who secretly envy caring, happy families with traditions. I'm not sure why they don't like fine china, family heirlooms, etc. and I don't care! If they want to live in "cellblock chic," have at it! Living in a monochromatic, empty space would make me depressed. Contrary to popular beliefs, Ikea is NOT the only furniture store on earth, and people still use wallpaper. Ikea maybe sleek and chic, but it made still made of partial board/ press board. I always retort, " any furniture you have to assemble yourself, is cheaply made." Watching this documentary made me nostalgic for a world with quality, a world that seemed more romantic, more accepting and more stable and definitely prettier. So, if I'm living in that past, thank God!

I hear you and I run a sewing practice where never a scrap of fabric is ever wasted.

Everything bought at Ikea shows up in the thrift store .

@@AnitaSouthall Good on you! Contrary to popular belief, we're not WASTEFUL! You at least know how to use a sewing machine! I not arguing with any more 20 somethings that attack me for destroying the planet and their future. I'm a 69 year old widow not the supreme empress of the planet. Give me a break!

What Laura Ashley and her family created was truly amazing, but unfortunately, following a fall downstairs at her daughter's home, Laura Ashley passed away. Soon after, the Company went public and a bunch of irresponsible, ruthless managers came into the Company . They reaped the benefits and sadly destroyed the Company and the shares tumbled. An internal investigation took place headed by a former Deputy Divisional Commander CID. The name of the investigation was "Operation Laura". I was a member of the investigation team and what we witnessed was horrendous. The true findings of "Operation Laura" was never made public as we were told if it was, it would ruin the Company's image. The ruthless Managers were eventually sacked, one by one. But unfortunately, such was the damage done, the Ashley family eventually ended up losing everything and thousands of jobs were lost. The shops and factories closed down and that was the end of the Laura Ashley family enterprise. Countless Laura Ashley employees including myself still have shares in the Company which are now deemed to be worthless. A very sad end to such a successful Company and an example that you should trust no one when you're dealing with a high profile business.

@@pvptv3975 Well it doesn't surprise me that this was what happened to the Laura Ashley Company. It's not the first and won't be the last time greed overtakes the mind . If anything it strengthens the integrity of the company as it once was. I loved the fact that Laura herself wasn't interested in $$$$$$ , just making people feel good about themselves and their homes. Thank you for the information about Laura Ashley , I have a few of her things that I treasure., a duvet and a blouse. I have had them for years.

Did you buy the dress? I would have and maybe made pillows or something from it or just worn it!

​@@pvptv3975 very sad, when she worked so hard throughout her years to make a name and brand.

My family and I are doing well thank you.

Same here, I was also in my 20s in Canada (1980s) . My mother absolutely loved Laura Ashley! She wallpapered the kitchen' walls, the pantry's doors, the kitchen's cabinets and even the kitchen counter with Laura Ashley's wallpaper featuring tiny green flowers! When my father sold the house 4 years ago the wallpaper was still there! This documentary was so interesting a beautiful nod to Laura Ashley🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀🍀

@Johnsonconnor how's the weather in Nigerian scam land?

Her goods.Lovely prints.I have always Loved thier designs.

I had the comforter with little pink and green flowers on one side and pink pinstripes on the other with the matching pink stripe sheets back in 1987 for my freshman year of college. Loved it so much that I used it my sophomore year as well. Happy memories.