MEME CHOSE X LAURA ASHLEY

MEME CHOSE X LAURA ASHLEY 

Fort Mill, SC (May 25, 2021) - Known for its rich romantic vision and iconic prints, British heritage brand Laura Ashley has partnered with luxury women’s shirting brand Même Chose to launch the Même Chose X Laura Ashley Summer 2021 fashion capsule collection. 

Founded in 2019 by fashion insiders Alison Bergen and Jessica Joffe, Même Chose pays tribute to the timeless appeal of Laura Ashley as much as the future generations of female entrepreneurs and the creative community she continues to inspire. The collaboration celebrates the brand’s humble start in 1953, when Laura and Bernard Ashley began hand-printing headscarves and textiles at their kitchen table, quickly creating iconic prints and a style that became synonymous with English country living. 

Même Chose's classic, masculine aesthetic meets Laura Ashley’s whimsical, feminine world to create a buoyant, infinitely wearable collection of separates, reflecting a world optimistically emerging from a pandemic into a new chapter. The collection embraces the rich heritage and heirloom quality of Laura Ashley while capturing Même Chose’s ethos - easy, timeless pieces for every woman. 

Designed to layer into everyday life, the pieces can be worn to work, lounging at home, to the beach, or a party: any place that requires an injection of whimsy. The collection is relaxed, easy, and thoughtfully curated to reflect the wearer’s personal style. 

“The collection brings out the best of both Laura Ashley and Même Chose,” says Laura Ashley USA President Penne Cairoli. “Easy to wear silhouettes with Laura Ashley’s iconic prints offer versatile pieces that are effortlessly chic.”

The breezy, ageless collection is especially dear to Même Chose, whose founders both have a strong history with Laura Ashley. For both Bergen and Joffe, the prints reflect their deep nostalgia for the brand -- they fondly remember childhoods dressed in and surrounded by Laura Ashley, with Joffe’s mother having spent time at the very same kitchen table with Bernard and Laura that birthed the brand — adding a personal touch to the collaboration, which Bergen hopes blends the sophistication and laid-back elegance of Même Chose with the unique romance and warmth that Laura Ashley has always embodied. 

“We chose natural prints with berries, birds, and botanicals that are easy to wear, but conversational by nature in order to bring a sophisticated twist to Laura Ashley’s iconic patterns,” Bergen said. “We were inspired by the cottage lifestyle and the community of creative women that choose Même Chose for their everyday lives. The pieces are for creating a fluid wardrobe, that is as much about personal style as it is about easy function.”

To reflect the collaboration’s focus on cultivating creativity, the campaign eschews traditional models and enlisted artist-sisters Grace Johnson and Stella Banderas to wear the collection in the wild, photographed by their close family friend Emily Knecht and aided by master florist and legendary perfumer Ezra Woods of Pretend Plants & Flowers and Regime des Fleurs who recreated the authentic, floral world of Laura Ashley, this time transported to the arid climate of Southern California. 

The 22-piece collection ($110 - $295) includes timeless shirting, chic pant sets, coordinating shorts, and flirty dresses. The  Même Chose X Laura Ashley collection will be available for sale in two deliveries launching on May 25 and June 15 respectively, on meme-chose.com and lauraashleyusa.com, as well as select boutique retailers nationwide.

About Même Chose:  Founded in 2018 with an eye for sophisticated tailoring and relaxed styling Même Chose is an emerging designer brand that offers women’s shirting and separates in inclusive sizing. Même Chose is sold primarily Direct to Consumer with select distribution at the nation’s top specialty stores and boutiques. To learn more, visit www.meme-chose.com or visit @thememechose on Instagram.

About Laura Ashley: Established in London in 1953, Laura Ashley is one of the world’s best-loved fashion and home furnishings brands. Currently, Laura Ashley offers a complete range of lifestyle products, including women’s fashion and accessories, and children’s apparel, and home furnishings and accessories. For additional information, visit www.lauraashleyusa.com.