New York, NY – Laura Ashley, the quintessential British and global lifestyle brand, is proud to announce a collaboration with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) and the university’s premier collaborative innovation studio SCADpro.

Reflecting Laura Ashley’s commitment to creativity and honoring its heritage while encouraging new interpretations of the brand for a global audience, this collaboration arrives at a historic moment for the brand as it celebrates “Laura Ashley: 100 Years of an Icon,” a year-long tribute to the centenary of its visionary founder, Laura Ashley.

The partnership invites the next generation of creative talent from SCAD’s top-ranked degree programs to delve into Laura Ashley’s extensive archive. Students were tasked with reimagining the brand’s signature romantic aesthetic through a contemporary lens, developing future-forward concepts that honor the legacy of the iconic designer who began printing textiles at her kitchen table in 1953.

“As we celebrate what would have been Laura Ashley’s 100th birthday, we are not just looking back at her incredible impact on design, but looking forward to how her spirit inspires today’s talent,” said Ben Luckadoo, VP of Marketing for Marquee Brands, owners of Laura Ashley. “Partnering with SCADpro allows us to merge our rich heritage with the fresh, unfiltered perspective of the world’s most promising young designers.”

The Laura Ashley X SCADpro Collaboration

SCADpro functions as an in-house creative consultancy and design studio that partners students and faculty with industry leaders and Fortune 500 companies to solve business challenges. During the Winter quarter, for Laura Ashley, the SCADpro team focused on:

• Market Research: Analyzed prospective markets, including the USA, the Middle East, LATAM, and APAC, ultimately narrowing the scope to the SEA and eventually Singapore, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

• Licensing Innovation: Developed a localized licensing plan for the brand’s iconic floral DNA fashion and lifestyle while identifying potential retail partners, targeted distribution channels, cultural considerations, and positioning strategy.

• Strategic Positioning: Identified potential partnerships and collaborations, consumer spending habits, and defined the brand’s competitive strategy, selecting specific go-to-market categories tailored to the local landscape.

• Marketing & Engagement: Outlined a comprehensive launch plan featuring product storytelling, packaging approach, immersive marketing activations, and social engagement strategies.

SCAD Professor of Fashion Marketing and Management Melanie Keys led the diverse team of 19 students. “Working directly with a globally recognized heritage brand like Laura Ashley to solve real business challenges gives students project management and design thinking experience that goes well beyond the traditional classroom. Over a rigorous ten-week quarter, undergraduate and graduate students from many leading programs including fashion marketing and management, graphic design, social strategy and management, and more, collaborated to apply their discipline-specific skills and develop a region-specific go-to-market strategy that was both insight-led and creatively compelling.”

Student project manager Ieshita Neve, a senior majoring in advertising and branding, worked extremely closely with the Laura Ashley team. “Taking a deep dive into this brand’s vast presence made me realize how extensive this brand’s offerings are. Their romantic heritage floral prints are still so iconic and relevant to the newer generations, as part of the Generation Z myself, I fell in love with these prints and where these prints can stand out and shine. Laura Ashley is a brand that speaks to everyone and they have done such an incredible job of maintaining that core brand across the globe,” Neve said.

Continuing in the Spring quarter, students will develop collaboration collections that balance Laura Ashley’s romantic authority with Gen Z and Millennial audiences in global markets. The project scope includes performing targeted market research, identifying key territories and strategic partners, conceptualizing new products, and building a comprehensive go-to-market strategy. Students will also design PR and marketing rollout plans that support long-term brand success and scalability.

Laura Ashley 100: Celebrating 100 Years of a Trailblazer

Born on September 7, 1925, Laura Ashley transformed a home business into a global phenomenon, becoming one of the most successful female entrepreneurs of the 20th century. The 100 Years of an Icon campaign includes:

• Archival Reimagining: The release of limited-edition collections, including the “Water’s Edge” wallpaper series and heritage-inspired apparel.

• Global Activations: Special events at the brand’s new flagship location and digital showcases highlighting the “Founders in Design” initiative.

• Education & Mentorship: A commitment to fostering emerging talent, exemplified by the SCADpro and Swansea College of Art’s collaborations.

ABOUT LAURA ASHLEY
Established in London in 1953, Laura Ashley is one of the world’s best-loved home, fashion and lifestyle brands known for its timeless prints and iconic designs. The heritage brand has become synonymous with quintessential British style, offering women’s and children’s clothing and accessories, home textiles, furniture, décor and hospitality experiences. With a distinct design aesthetic, the brand is celebrated for its signature floral prints, renowned quality and expression of modern romance. Laura Ashley is part of the Marquee Brands portfolio. Marquee Brands is a premier global brand accelerator and owner of leading consumer brands across three distinct verticals: Home & Culinary, Fashion & Lifestyle and Active & Outdoor. For additional information, lauraashley.com

ABOUT MARQUEE BRANDS
Marquee Brands is the premier accelerator of timeless brands, unlocking value and building global influence. With a focus on driving growth and building sustainable brand equity, we partner with the best-in-class manufacturers, operators, retailers and distributors to scale brands across markets and channels. Marquee Brands’ global portfolio spans three distinct platforms: Home & Culinary, Fashion & Lifestyle, Expressive Luxury and Active & Outdoor. The portfolio of brands includes Martha Stewart, Laura Ashley, Sur La Table, Emeril Lagasse, America’s Test Kitchen, BCBGMAXAZRIA, BCBG, Ben Sherman, Bruno Maglie, Anti Social Social Club, Totes, Isotoner, Destination Maternity, Motherhood, A Pea in the Pod, Dakine and Body Glove. For more information, visit www.marqueebrands.com

ABOUT SCAD
SCAD is a private, nonprofit, accredited university, offering 100 graduate and undergraduate degree programs across locations in Atlanta and Savannah, Georgia; Lacoste, France; and online via SCADnow. SCAD enrolls approximately 18,500 undergraduate and graduate students from more than 100 countries. The future-minded SCAD curriculum engages professional-level technology and myriad advanced learning resources, affording students opportunities for internships, professional certifications, and real-world assignments with corporate partners through SCADpro, the university’s renowned research lab and prototype generator. SCAD has earned top rankings for degree programs in interior design, architecture, film, fashion, digital media, and more. Career success is woven into every fiber of the university, resulting in a superior alumni employment rate. A 2025 study found that 99% of recent SCAD graduates were employed, pursuing further education, or both within 12 months of graduation. SCAD provides students and alumni with ongoing career support through personal coaching, alumni programs, a professional presentation studio, and more.

ABOUT SCADpro
SCADpro is the Savannah College of Art a;nd Design’s collaborative innovation studio that generates business solutions for the world’s most influential brands. SCADpro is recognized as the preeminent university partner in higher education and among design agencies worldwide. Unlike other agencies and university programs, SCADpro invites clients to engage in every step of the ideation and creative process and to work directly with student designers, professors, and alumni focused on clients’ desired outcomes. For more information on SCADpro, visit scad.edu/scadpro.