Marquee Brands, a global brand accelerator and the owner of 17 world-renowned brands, has acquired legacy home, fashion and lifestyle brand Laura Ashley from global asset expert Gordon Brothers.
Founded in 1953, Laura Ashley has become synonymous with timeless design, blending florals, vintage-inspired motifs and craftsmanship across hundreds of products and categories, and deployed in the UK furniture industry through licensed partners including Next and Qualita.
The strategic acquisition retains Laura Ashley’s UK-based team, and expands Marquee Brands’ global footprint with the opening of its first European headquarters, in London.
Distributed in more than 80 countries through wholesalers, digital marketplaces and over 150 branded retail locations, the addition of Laura Ashley increases the retail value of Marquee Brands’ global portfolio to more than $4b.
“Laura Ashley’s licensed business model and robust group of high-quality partners makes the brand a seamless addition to Marquee Brands. We are excited to harness the strong affinity for this iconic brand and drive expansion across new platforms and partnerships,” says Heath Golden, CEO of Marquee Brands. “With the existing UK team in place, we are primed and ready to leverage Laura Ashley’s seven-decade legacy to unlock its future potential as a full lifestyle brand innovating new products and categories, offering unique collaborations and engaging multi-generational audiences in key markets worldwide.”
Tobias Nanda, head of brands at Gordon Brothers, adds: “As a firm that actively invests in and revitalises iconic brands like Laura Ashley, we acquired the British heritage brand out of insolvency in 2020 and built a flexible, scalable licensing business and a global ecommerce presence over the last four years.
"We could not be prouder of Laura Ashley’s growth under Carolyn D’Angelo’s leadership, the former president of Laura Ashley, and know the brand is in the right hands for continued global growth under Marquee Brands’ leadership.”
Marquee Brands will integrate Laura Ashley into its portfolio with a fully licensed operating model spanning the US, UK, Japan, South Korea and other leading markets across Asia. Marquee Brands is poised to deepen Laura Ashley’s presence, driving new business across North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, EMEA and other key regions.
