FIRST LOOK: As Laura Ashley relaunches, how does it stack up against its vintage heyday?

Laura Ashley — two words for ever identified with pretty prints and floral fabrics, it’s one of those British brands that conjures up feelings of warm nostalgia.

Whether it’s a ditsy rose cotton dress or sweet pea curtains, chances are your wardrobe — and home — was once full of the classic styles that became so iconic in the 1970s and beyond.

When it went into administration in 2020, only childrenswear and homeware remained, leaving the rest of the business to one side. Now, after four years in the wilderness, a new womenswear collection is launching that harks back to Laura Ashley’s heyday, yet has been seamlessly updated to reflect modern tastes, feeling fresh and relevant.

This tiered maxi dress from Laura Ashley's new collection comes in a trademark floral print and retails for £85

This new matching linen co-ord offers a more modern silhouette in comparison to a similar dress from 1987. The shorts cost £38 while the top retails for £34

If you’re a fan of the prints intrinsically linked to the brand, you won’t be disappointed — these have been reworked in prairie dresses that neatly tap into this season’s boho trend.

READ MORE: Inside Laura Ashley's underground bunker: When the label folded in 2020, its archive went into subterranean storage. As the British brand celebrates its 70th anniversary, Jenny Wood drops in for a special viewing 

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You won’t go far wrong with an off-the-shoulder maxi in a paisley pattern copied from a wallpaper print, or a nostalgic ruffle sleeve incorporated into a brighter, bolder look that steps away from the favoured pastels of old.

If you think floral dresses belong in the past, however, know that the new collection is not all about dresses. Matching shorts and top co-ords that offer more modern silhouettes will be smart together and practical apart.

Taking inspiration from Laura Ashley’s enormous archive was key to shaping the new collection, updating old styles into those designed to entice a younger generation of fans.

Gone are big bows and fluffy petticoats; in their place are more revealing spaghetti straps and open backs. Where once there was an apron dress (presumably to keep your sewing kit in), now there’s denim (a first) wide-leg jeans in the softest washed blue, or tapered chinos with a cropped ankle that shout city break.

But fear not, there’s still some of the old favourite shapes too. They know that a belted shirt-dress cut to flatter hips and thighs has just as much place in our wardrobes today as it did then. Ditto a failsafe simple cream shirt that goes with just about anything.

Laura Ashley was an early pioneer of natural fabrics, and with sustainability now being the watchword for many fashion brands, never was this more relevant. Look out for breathable white blouses — now with lower necklines and more subtle puff sleeves — all in cotton certified by the Better Cotton Initiative.

The new range stays true to heritage prints, such as in this dress from 1993, with a puff-sleeve shirt costing £42 and tapered chinos for £58

Now is the time to re-embrace the heritage brand, with this printed dress costing £70 providing a modern twist on a classic Laura Ashley silhouette

While the 1970s dress had a modest neckline, the new more daring style is backless: maxi dress, £75

For the first time Laura Ashely is offering denim: wide-leg jeans, £55; puff-sleeve shirt, £38

However, in these rocky times for our high streets, it’s not enough merely to focus on environmentally-friendly fabrics. Equally inclusive is the sizing, from an 8-22, and the consideration of budget, with everything priced between £32 and £85.

So now’s the time to re-embrace this heritage brand, combining old meets new, fun meets classic — and all still charmingly rosy.

• Laura Ashley is available from April 17, exclusively at next.co.uk