Orla Kiely facts for kids

Orla Kiely (born 24 May 1962) is a famous Irish designer. She is recognized for her colorful, cheerful patterns and graphic shapes. People often recognize her famous "stem" pattern featuring stylised leaves. An OBE was awarded to her for her great work in design. Kiely creates patterns for everyday items such as kitchenware, clothes, and bags. She has lived and worked in London, England, where she created a globally recognized brand.

Early Life and Creative Beginnings

Kiely was born in Ireland in 1962. As a young girl, she drew artistic inspiration from her creative grandmother. Her father worked as an accountant, and her mother loved science. Kiely attended school at Loreto College, Foxrock near Dublin. She loved art and decided to study textile design at the National College of Art and Design in Ireland. Textiles are decorative fabrics used for clothing and interior decoration.

After finishing art school, she moved to New York City to gain experience. There, she worked for a company creating fabrics and decorative wallpaper. Later, Kiely moved to the United Kingdom to work with the fashion brand Esprit. While working, she studied at the Royal College of Art in London. She earned a master's degree, specializing mainly in warm clothing made from knitwear.

At her final student exhibition, Kiely showed a charming collection of stylish hats. Famous luxury department store Harrods immediately purchased the entire range of hats. Soon after, major stores like Marks & Spencer and home retailer Habitat hired her to create designs.

How Orla Kiely Started Her Business

Developing New Handbag Ideas

Kiely design work on the back of a London bus

Kiely discovered her passion for accessories thanks to a clever observation by her father. During her visit to London Fashion Week, her father noticed that many visitors carried a handbag, but hardly anyone wore a hat. Because of this, Kiely decided to shift her creative focus toward designing bags.

During the late 1990s, she began experimenting with different materials. She chose to laminate fabric, which gave the material a shiny, water-resistant surface. At that time, most companies only used laminated fabric to make wipeable tablecloths. Making stylish laminated bags was a brand-new concept, and shoppers quickly loved the practical, waterproof bags.

Growing the Orla Kiely Brand

In 1997, Kiely and her husband, Dermott Rowan, officially formed The Orla Kiely Partnership. The business began inside their own apartment in London. Kiely created colorful designs on weekends while working other design jobs during the week. Her husband organized deliveries and packaged the products. Their home was often filled with boxes of products stacked high to the ceiling.

Soon, Kiely presented her collections at major fashion events. She received international orders from overseas shops. Her simple, retro-style patterns became popular around the world. Her company produced many fun products, and people loved using her patterned items in their homes.

Famous Patterns and Everyday Designs

The Queen of Prints

Major newspapers like The Guardian gave Kiely the fun nickname "the Queen of Prints." Kiely took inspiration from nature, drawing trees, flowers, and leaves using repeating shapes. Her repeating patterns appeared on decorative items for every room in the house.

Kiely patterns have decorated many everyday items:

• Colorful stationery items like notebooks and pencil cases
• Modern wooden and fabric furniture
• Cheerful wallpaper for bedroom walls
• Small kitchen electronics, including Pure Evoke Mio radios
• Special limited edition models of Citroën DS3 cars

Kiely also worked with the water filter company Brita to make an eco-friendly refillable water bottle called the "Wottle". This bottle featured her famous green-stem print and was made from high-density polyethylene, a safe, reusable plastic. The bottle helped encourage people to reduce single-use plastic waste. A manufacturing factory in Suffolk produced the eco-friendly bottles.

Books and Exhibitions

Kiely wrote several illustrated books about art and patterns, including Home and Pattern. In 2018, she released another book titled A Life in Pattern. This book accompanied an exhibition of her work at the famous Fashion and Textile Museum in London.

She has received many creative honors during her career. The University for the Creative Arts gave her an honorary degree in 2014. She also received an honorary doctorate from Norwich University of the Arts. The Royal College of Art made her a Senior Fellow to celebrate her contributions to design.

Personal Life

Kiely lives with her husband, Dermott Rowan, and they have two sons. She works from a design studio based in London, continuing to develop artistic ideas.

See also

• List of people on the postage stamps of Ireland