Press Room

BROTHER INTERNATIONAL CORPORATION IS NOW A LICENSEE OF LAURA ASHLEY

Brother® Introduces a New Sophisticated Sewing Machine to Celebrate Licensing Agreement with Laura Ashley®

DOLLARD-DES-ORMEAUX (QC) - September 20th, 2010 – Brother International Corporation (Canada) Ltd, a leader in the Canadian sewing industry, has recently launched the new Laura Ashley Limited Edition NX-2000 sewing and quilting machine. Brother International Corporation has become an official licensee of Laura Ashley, Inc., the quintessential English fashion and home furnishings brand known for its classic styling and clean lines. The new Brother-Laura Ashley relationship is all the more exciting because both companies are known for their commitment to high-quality craftsmanship and design. The Laura Ashley Limited Edition NX-2000 will be available for purchase at authorized Brother dealers as of September 2010.

The NX-2000 machine—decorated with signature Laura Ashley floral motifs in chalk pink and white—will entice sewing, quilting and DIY home decorating enthusiasts with its high-end embellishment capabilities. These include a total of 460 stitches – 430 built-in and 30 on CD – to help designers create Laura Ashley-inspired items with ease. Not only is the NX-2000 an impressive, innovative, high-quality sewing and quilting machine, but it is ideal for empowering creative minds to fashion beautiful, Laura Ashley-inspired pieces—so everyone can have a touch of English in their home décor, clothing and accessories.

DIY devotees will love using the new NX-2000 and its powerful features to freshen their home décor by “upcycling” existing furnishings with new embellishments, or cozying up a room with a new quilt, pillow or other custom-made decorative projects. The three specialty feet included provide more control, greater visibility and ease for echo quilting while the oversized work area and large extension table accommodate projects of virtually any size. The NX-2000 is perfect for stitching quilts with varying fabric types, appliqués or embellishments when the AHA® Automatic Height Adjuster™ feature is turned on. The AHA® feature continuously detects the fabric thickness and automatically adjusts the presser foot pressure to ensure beautiful, precise, even stitching. Plus, the pivot function makes turning intricate corners easy. The intuitive features of the NX-2000 make sewing and quilting easier than ever and ensure that every project can have impeccable detail with clean lines and unique style.

Billed as having English sophistication built into every stitch, the Laura Ashley Limited Edition NX-2000 helps the user to create sophisticated, professional sewing effects with its specialty accessories. These include a bobbin case engineered for bobbin-work stitching with specialty threads, a circular attachment accessory for creating precise circles of varying sizes highlighted with decorative stitches and threads, and task-specific machine feet for appliqué and better control of seams and top stitching.

About Brother Canada
Brother Canada is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2010. The company was established in Montreal in 1960 and is part of a worldwide network of companies belonging to Brother Industries Ltd, of which the corporate headquarters is situated in Nagoya, Japan. Active in over 100 countries, Brother markets a wide range of business machines and home appliances known for their reliability, ease of use and versatility at affordable prices. Proud of our achievements and as an independent subsidiary managing marketing, sales, distribution services as well as customer satisfaction & services across Canada, Brother Canada is also recognized for its Quality, Environmental and Health & Safety ISO certifications. Brother Industries Ltd. is a 5 billion-dollar company employing more than 26,000 people operating in 43 countries and regions around the globe. Additional information about Brother and its products is available on www.brother.ca

About Laura Ashley
Laura Ashley is a much-loved global tastemaker in fashion, fabric and home furnishings—its roots set in mid-twentieth century England. Because of its clean, but feminine, styling and Victoriana flavour, the company has become known for its exciting reinvention of the traditional. In November of 2009, Laura Ashley was ranked 29th among all consumer brands, third among fellow lifestyle brands Ralph Lauren and Liz Claiborne, from a survey conducted by Home Furnishing News (HFN). Laura Ashley, Inc., headquartered in Fort Mill, S.C., concentrates on licensing the Laura Ashley® brand name in North and South America. The company strives to be the ultimate destination brand for women’s wear, children's wear and home furnishings. Current licensees include Russell-Newman, Inc., Signature Eyewear and Revman International. For additional information, visit www.lauraashley-usa.com.

For more information:
Vital Adam
Public Relation Officer
Brother Canada
1 800 361-6466 (4488)
vital.adam@brother.ca