Orla Kiely
Irish born Orla Kiely is renowned for her retro inspired prints which have delighted the world. Crediting her Grandma as her greatest creative influence, Orla Kiely first pursued her artistic talent at the National College of Art & Design in Dublin, where she achieved a degree in textile design. On gaining this qualification she moved to New York to work for a wallpaper & fabric designer, which deepened her love of colour and print, inspiring her to further her creative education.
Returning to the UK in the early 1990s to study for an MA in knitwear at the Royal College of Art, Orla Kiely developed her knowledge of fabric design and discovered her flair for hat making. Her designs moved from hats to handbags when her father pointed out at her first stall at London Fashion Week that everyone there was carrying a bag, but no one was wearing a hat. This led to the production of bags featuring her signature patterns on laminated fabric, a design innovation of the time when this kind of material was used only for tablecloths.
Each Orla Kiely homeware collection is an exploration of the brand’s signature prints and retro ‘60s & ‘70s inspired design. With the brand’s key concept of nature inspired base colours such as muddy browns, leafy greens and overcast greys combined with bursts of bright orange, rich yellow and pale blue, each item is a testament to timeless style.