FIRST LOOK: As Laura Ashley relaunches, how does it compare to its vintage heyday?

Laura Ashley – two words forever identified with beautiful prints and floral fabrics, it is one of those British brands that evokes feelings of warm nostalgia.

Whether it’s a dapper rose cotton dress or cute pea curtains, chances are your wardrobe – and your 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 children’s clothing and home furnishings remained, leaving the rest of the business to one side. Now, after four years in the wilderness, a new womenswear collection is being launched that harkens back to Laura Ashley’s heyday, yet has been seamlessly updated to reflect modern tastes that feel fresh and relevant.

This new matching linen corduroy offers a more modern silhouette compared to a similar dress from 1987. The shorts cost £38 while the top retails for £34.

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

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

If you think floral dresses are a thing of the past, you should know that the new collection is not just about dresses. Matching shorts and topcoords that offer more modern silhouettes will be chic together and practical apart.

Drawing inspiration from Laura Ashley’s vast archive was key to shaping the new collection, updating old styles to ones designed to appeal to a younger generation of fans.

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

But fear not, there are still some of the old favorite shapes. They know that a belted shirtdress, cut to flatter hips and thighs, has as much space in our wardrobes today as it did back then. Ditto a fail-safe simple cream shirt that goes with almost anything.

Laura Ashley was an early pioneer of natural fabrics, and with sustainability now the watchword for many fashion brands, this has never been 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, as in this dress from 1993, with a puff sleeve shirt costing £42 and tapered chinos for £58

Now’s the time to embrace the heritage brand, with this £70 printed dress offering a modern twist on a classic Laura Ashley silhouette

But in these rocky times for our high streets, it’s not enough to just focus on eco-friendly fabrics. Equally inclusive are the sizes, from an 8-22, and the consideration for the budget, with everything priced between £32 and £85.

So now is the time to embrace this heritage brand by combining old and new, fun meets classic – and all still charmingly rosy.

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