Laura Ashley parent company Gordon Brothers has appointed IMG to expand the brand's fashion, home and lifestyle products across Australia, New Zealand, Europe, China, India and the Middle East.
Global advisory, restructuring and investment firm Gordon Brothers acquired Laura Ashley in 2020, after the brand entered administration due to tough COVID-19 trading conditions.
The new deal with IMG will see it work with the brand to create new Laura Ashley apparel, footwear, accessories, beauty and homeware items through licensing and retail partnerships and collaborations.
The partnership with IMG comes after Laura Ashley relaunched a home collection in 2021 with its main retail partner Next on a dedicated eCommerce platform and in over 50 Next stores across the UK.
Gordon Brothers MD of brands and Laura Ashley president Carolyn D’Angelo said the business is excited to be working with IMG.
"Following the success of our spring home collection relaunch and fall fashion collaboration last year, it is clear there is a strong customer appetite for a new wave of Laura Ashley lifestyle products.
"We look forward to seeing the first designs of our 2023 fashion relaunch spring to life for the brand’s 70th anniversary and for the next generation of Laura Ashley customers," she said.
Laura Ashley was founded in 1953 in a flat in Pimlico, London by husband-and-wife team Bernard and Laura Ashley.
The brand started with printed fabrics and headscarves and became internationally renowned for its fabrics, home furnishings, apparel and accessories.
IMG VP Tim Smith added that the business is excited to introduce the brand to new customers across the globe.
"For almost 70 years, Laura Ashley’s iconic, quality-led designs, prints and patterns have continued to inspire the most coveted styles and fashion trends around the world.
"We are eager to leverage this rich heritage and the Laura Ashley archive, comprising more than 98,000 pieces of unique artwork, textiles and footage, to develop relevant new fashion and lifestyle products for existing and new fans of the brand," he said.