Laura Ashley to launch menswear

Laura Ashley, the British fashion and furniture house, is to launch its first collection of menswear

with the aim to expand its high street business.

The first collection will feature men's tailored shirts which feature a range of prints that will come in striped and checked versions, as well as more simple offerings. The 14 piece collection is made in Italy and is expected to retail at 70 pounds.

Despite the company's old-fashioned image, Laura Ashley has moved forward with the digital age, with a recently expanded smartphone enabled website which has driven online sales. The new men's collection will also be available online.

Laura Ashley reported a 1.2 percent fall in total fashion sales in the 26 weeks to July 28th 2012, while like-for-like fashion sales remained flat.