LAURA ASHLEY AW13 PRESS EVENT

Hello lovelies! Last week I had a little trip to London, as I was lucky enough to be invited to the Laura Ashley Autumn Winter 2013 press event. There I got to see their beautiful new collection, learn about the history of the brand, and catch up with the lovely Charlotte while sipping on strawberry and banana smoothies (mine) and beetroot and celery juice (Charlotte. She thought it was berries! But luckily the juice wasn't as bad as she thought it may be, and was surprisingly refreshing!).

As we browsed the rails of navy blue and burgundy, nudes and khakis, soft pinks and greys, beautiful prints and subtle sparkle, I began dreaming of my winter wardrobe for later this year. Sadly, as summer doesn't seem to be arriving here in England anytime soon, the pieces would even be suitable for now! I definitely will be having a trip to my local Laura Ashley this Autumn, and look out for some of their fairisle knitwear, silky blouses, bold print trousers, statement necklaces and brown leather satchels. I also have my heart set on the cream angora jumper, with the embellished peter pan collar and diamante detailing for Christmas parties!

The homeware section was so beautiful. I would love to have a cosy, country house and fill the whole place with Laura Ashley! Unfortunately, the size of my Victorian terrace and the size of my budget wont allow me to do this, but I definitely have my eye on a few key pieces and accessories to give our little home a bit of a makeover this Autumn. I loved the light fixtures and lamps with beautiful glass elements to reflect the light. They would add a touch of glamour to any room and go with practically any colour scheme and style! Having a soft spot for pastel greens, blues and mint colours, the duck egg range was right up my street! I loved the duck egg hydrangea print wallpaper and bedding combined with the white, wooden furniture. I think it would make such a pretty, cosy, calming bedroom. I completely fell in love with their rose gold furniture and accessories too! They had rose gold dressing tables, lamps, trinket boxes, clocks- it looked so elegant and feminine with their coral range. Something I will definitely be purchasing is their collection of mugs and candles in prints from the Laura Ashley archive. They are bringing back some classic Laura Ashley prints in lots of different colourways for many different items for their Autumn Winter 2013 collection, and these prints used on the mugs and candle holders are just so pretty. I would love to have them dotted around my home! I particularly love the 'Emma' print.

As Laura Ashley are celebrating their 60th anniversary this year, we were lucky enough to also see their lovely archive exhibition. It was fascinating to learn the history of the company, and how Laura Ashley and her husband started out by printing floral silk scarves from their kitchen! There were so many vintage treasures to see from the archive, from the 1960's to now, including clothes, furniture, cushions, books and even a china doll! It was so interesting to see how the brand has evolved over the years but always stayed true to its roots. I think this is the reason it is so loved by different generations. I know my Grandmother and my mother are both loyal fans, and have lots of fond memories of shopping there and some favourite items they have bought over the years. I don't think there is any other brand that all three generations of us share a love of like we do Laura Ashley. Next time I am at my parents house, I am going to hunt for some pictures of family wearing their Laura Ashley favourites from the past and share it on the Laura Ashley memories page. The page is a place fans can share their Laura Ashley photos and memories, with a chance of winning a £1000 voucher! You can also enter on twitter using the #lauraashley60 hashtag. I enjoyed just looking through the entries, there are some really lovely ones!

There was also a wonderful Christmas section at the event, but I didn't want to talk about the C-word too much incase you all got upset with me. I know it's only June and the weather has been pretty miserable, but I  had to share these beautiful beaded, sparkley placemats! Aren't they beautiful?? I am considering getting them for our winter wedding, I think they would look stunning with our pastel blue, white and sparkle theme.

I loved going to the press event and the collection was really beautiful. I am so thankful to the wonderful team at Laura Ashley for hosting & inviting me to such a lovely event!

x ♥