was offered for sale to the public. Although Bernard Ashley continued to head the corporation, he was unprepared to handle the financial problems which occurred when his company's stock was 34 times oversubscribed. Suddenly there was more than enough money to expand, which lead to stores operating in 13 countries. Two years later Bernard Ashley departed, retaining 53% of the company's stock, but relinquishing control of the day-to-day operations to chief executive Mike Smith, followed by chief executive Maxim in 1991 (Bain 18).
Despite her untimely and tragic death, the designer's trademark is still popular. Ashley's fame for producing frilly frocks, pure cotton or linen printed fabrics for upholstery, clothing, drapes and even lampshades, as well as wallpaper, lives on (Kindel 31). Her company made a fortune by selling English country romanticism, during a time when other 60s designers were focusing on miniskirts, loud prints, and brightly-colored polyester fabric. The designer remains important because she understood that many people just wanted to have a comfortable home that they could quietly raise families in and enjoy time in their En
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