Laura Ashley acquired by Marquee Brands

Marquee Brands, a global brand accelerator that owns 17 brands, has acquired Laura Ashley from Gordon Brothers for an undisclosed price.The addition of the brand will increase the retail value of Marquee Brands’ global portfolio, which includes Ben Sherman, to over $4bn (£3.2bn). Following the acquisition, Laura Ashley’s UK-based team will be retained, whilst expanding Marquee Brands’ global footprint with the opening of its first European headquarters in London. Marquee Brands will integrate Laura Ashley into its portfolio with a fully licensed operating model spanning the United States, United Kingdom, Japan, South Korea and other leading markets across Asia. Laura Ashley operates in more than 200 lifestyle categories through a network of over 100 licensed partners with products available at thousands of points of sale. By leveraging its global network, Marquee Brands said it is “poised to deepen Laura Ashley’s presence”, driving new business across North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, EMEA and other key regions. Heath Golden, CEO of Marquee Brands, said: “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. “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, added: “As a firm that actively invests in and revitalizes 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 e-commerce 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.”