May 17, 2022
LAURA ASHLEY & BATSHEVA COLLABORATE ON SECOND LIMITED EDITION COLLECTION
London, UK – May. 16 – Laura Ashley, one of the world's best-loved home and lifestyle brands, has collaborated with Batsheva, a New York City-based ready-to-wear brand for women and girls, on a second limited edition collection. It will debut on Monday 16th May.
Following the release of the first collection last year (October 2021), Laura Ashley and Batsheva co-created a 23-piece collection. It incorporates Batsheva’s signature high collars, voluminous sleeves and skirts with Laura Ashley’s archival floral prints and heirloom-inspired silhouettes.
The focus of the second collection is Spring and Summer, perfectly timed with the start of the season. The ready-to-wear collaboration captures Laura Ashley’s quintessentially spring-like look and feel, with each item showcasing the brand’s iconic prints in full bloom.
Designer Batsheva Hay says, “When I dream of the early Laura Ashley days, which I often do, I think of the light pastels with white or pale backgrounds. In this collection, I was really able to play with prints that have that softness for Spring and Summer, like Quartet, Strawberry Field, and Notgrove.”
“I was inspired by memories of childhood summer, which always involved Laura Ashley. I tried to create shapes that would move well in the warm breeze and that reminded me of those magical Laura Ashley catalogue images on the beach, in a field, or in the forest.”
For the second collection, Batsheva revisited the Laura Ashley archive. She used sketches to inspire silhouettes and the iconic prints as a foundation, before playing with colour and fabric to put a modern twist on classic Laura Ashley designs.
Carolyn D’Angelo, Managing Director, Gordon Brothers Brands and President of Laura Ashley Global, says: “This collection truly brings to life the essence of Laura Ashley. Batsheva’s love for the brand really shines through in every piece, and it was a real joy to revisit the archival prints and sketches as part of this design process to create pieces that that embrace Laura Ashely’s legacy while helping us reach new audiences.”
Remarking on her favourite Laura Ashley print in the collection, Batsheva adds, “I love Strawberry Field. I really remember that print from my childhood. My grandmother bought me a dress in that print and used to bring me strawberries every time she visited. It has all the best associations and nostalgia for me.”
With prices ranging from $148 - $300 the 23 designs include dresses, blouses, skirts and a jumpsuit. The collection will be online on batsheva.com, lauraashleyusa.com, Net-a-Porter, MatchesFashion, and Saks Fifth Avenue, and in-store at select Nordstrom locations and select boutiques worldwide.
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ABOUT LAURA ASHLEY
Established in London in 1953, Laura Ashley is one of the world’s best-loved fashion and home furnishings brands. Currently, Laura Ashley offers a complete range of lifestyle products, including home furnishings and accessories, women’s sleepwear and accessories, children's apparel and hospitality experiences. For additional information, visit www.lauraashleyusa.com
ABOUT BATSHEVA
Batsheva is a New York-based ready-to-wear brand for women and girls. Founded in 2016 by Batsheva Hay, Batsheva plays with American styles of feminine dress – from Victorian to Pioneer; from Housewife to Hippie – by taking elements symbolic of restraint and repression (high collars, voluminous sleeves and skirts) and giving them a modern inflection. By retooling historical looks, Batsheva explores how to extract the strong and beautiful aspects of those styles while rejecting antiquated notions of womanhood. www.batsheva.com
ABOUT GORDON BROTHERS
Since 1903, Gordon Brothers (www.gordonbrothers.com) has helped lenders, operating executives, advisors and investors move forward through change. The firm brings a powerful combination of expertise and capital to clients, developing customized solutions on an integrated or standalone basis across four services areas: valuations, dispositions, operations and investments. Whether to fuel growth or facilitate strategic consolidation, Gordon Brothers partners with companies in the retail, commercial and industrial sectors to put assets to their highest and best use. Gordon Brothers conducts more than $70 billion worth of dispositions and appraisals annually. Gordon Brothers is headquartered in Boston, with over 30 offices across five continents.
