Following a Women's Institute exhibition at the Victoria and Albert Museum on traditional handicrafts in 1953, Laura and Bernard Ashley started printing fabric at home, on their kitchen table. By 1958 they had opened a showroom in London showcasing their collections, from small domestic items to large scale, single panel printed textiles. www.lauraashley.com went live in October 2001 and the fashion and homeware company continues to grow with franchise operations in the Far East, Australia and South America.