Vintage dresses from British brand Laura Ashley are on sale for as much as £2,495 on eBay

Vintage dresses from Laura Ashley are now selling for up to £500 on eBay – and some cheeky sellers are asking as much as £2,495.

Fans of the chintzy British brand, which fell into administration last March which saw dozens of stores across the country close, are flocking to the online auction site to bag an original Made In Wales garment made by the label. 

Gowns from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s are on sale for big bucks, with a ‘never worn’ heavy black velvet vintage ball gown priced at £2,495.

Elsewhere an original rare ‘mod’ dress is listed for £1,800, with its seller branding it a ‘piece of history’. 

‘This dress is one of Laura Ashley’s very first designs and is screen-printed in monotone colour with excitingly original imperfections in the print of this circular design,’ the advert reads.

‘This extremely rare 60s dress is a sought after collector’s item and a piece of history (it has the original 60s graphics on the label, this label with no circle is the eldest. “Made in Wales” also indicates an earlier piece).

‘Even most fashion museums’ exhibitions don’t have such a piece in their Laura Ashley collection. What makes this dress so precious is the fact that Laura Ashley always made more floral country boho dresses, not really anything mod. So this is very, very unusual.’ 

Another black evening dress from the 1980s is also on sale for £1,495. Its seller says: ‘One stunning and rare Classic Laura Ashley Black Crepe Chiffon & Silver Hand Beaded 3/4 Sleeved Gown.’

A dress from the Sixties is priced at £495, with the seller saying: ‘Dresses were first released for sale in 1966 in London and having a private collection of over 60 of her dresses from the 1960s and 1970s, I can say that it is extremely rare to find one of her first release dresses.

‘The condition is excellent with no faults to mention. 

‘A great size, made in Wales, with 14 on the label.’

And dozens of other dresses are selling for up to £1,000, including a £750 vintage wedding dress.

Its seller says: ‘The dress is as good as new; only worn once for a few hours, of course, ready to be worn by its next beautiful bride to be!’

Gowns that have sold for high price tags include a vintage Victorian-style wedding dress carrying the Made in Wales logo (£598.80), a Laura Ashley vintage black velvet Edwardian coat dress (£504) and a high neck bustle dress (£342).

The label has garnered something of a cult following among vintage clothing enthusiasts. 

Laura Ashley was the pandemic’s first high-profile casualty when it collapsed after failing to secure rescue funds, forcing the closure in July last year of all 123 UK stores, its Welsh factory and its website, costing more than 1,600 jobs. 

Now the brand, which is owned by a US investment firm, will relaunch in spring with shops within Next stores and a website run by Next.

The label’s British rebirth will begin at the Next shop in Westfield White City, in west London, before rolling out to 40 stores.

Display rooms will showcase Laura Ashley products, with the first items on sale expected to be upholstered furniture, candles and nursery goods.

Its trademark wallpaper and paints are set to follow.

Poppy Marshall-Lawton, head of brand and partnerships at Laura Ashley, previously told The Mail on Sunday: ‘Next’s online store is extremely popular with women in Britain and that’s our core market.

‘It also has some of the fastest and most convenient customer service options, which was an attraction of working with them.

‘We’re confident that with Laura Ashley reborn through Next stores and online we can bring customers the products they’ve been clamouring for on social media.’