Orla Kiely facts for kids

Orla Kiely (born on May 24, 1962) is a famous Irish fashion designer. She lives and works in London. Orla started her career by designing hats. Later, she became well-known for her unique designs on handbags and many other items. These included things for the kitchen and even cars! She earned a special degree from the Royal College of Art. Before starting her own company, she worked with several other businesses.

Orla Kiely's main company stopped its retail and wholesale business on September 17, 2018. However, her designs are still sold through other stores and partners.

About Orla Kiely

Her Early Life and Education

Orla Kiely often says her grandmother was a big creative inspiration in her life. Her father was an accountant, and her mother studied science.

Orla went to school at Loreto College, Foxrock. She studied to become a textile designer at the National College of Art and Design in Dublin, Ireland. After that, she moved to New York to work for a company that designed wallpaper and fabrics.

Later, she moved to England. There, she worked for a company called Esprit. At the same time, she continued her studies at the Royal College of Art in London. She focused on designing knitwear. For her final show at the Royal College of Art, she showed off a collection of hats. A famous department store called Harrods bought them! She also did design work for other well-known stores like Marks & Spencer and Habitat.

How Her Business Started

Orla began designing handbags and hats after her father noticed something interesting. During her first London Fashion Week, he saw that everyone was carrying a handbag, but no one was wearing a hat.

In the late 1990s, she had a clever idea. She decided to make handbags from laminated fabric. This meant the fabric was covered with a thin, clear layer to make it strong and waterproof. At that time, this was a very new idea for handbags. Most laminated fabrics were only used for things like tablecloths.

In 1997, Orla and her husband, Dermott Rowan, started their own company called The Orla Kiely Partnership. Her husband once explained that it all happened by chance. Orla was designing for other companies and also creating her own collection on weekends. She would give her designs to Dermott to organize. Their apartment became very busy with deliveries! Orla showed her designs at London Fashion Week and got her first orders from other countries.

Awards and Recognition

Orla Kiely has received many honors for her design work. She was named a Visiting Professor of Textiles at the Royal College of Art. In 2016, she became a Senior Fellow there.

In June 2014, the University for the Creative Arts gave Orla an honorary degree. This is a special award that recognizes her achievements. In 2015, she was made an Honorary Fellow of the British Institute of Design. She also received an honorary doctorate from Norwich University of the Arts.

Orla Kiely's Designs

Orla Kiely's design on the back of a London bus

Orla Kiely is often called "the Queen of Prints" by The Guardian newspaper. Her designs are famous for their bold, colorful patterns. You can find her unique patterns on many different items. These include kitchenware, school supplies, furniture, and wallpaper. Her designs have even been used on special Citroën DS3 cars and Pure Evoke Mio radios.

She also designed a special refillable water bottle called the "Wottle." This was a project with the water filter company Brita. The bottle features her well-known green stem design. It is made from a recyclable plastic material and produced in Suffolk, England.

Orla Kiely's business operates from her design studio in Pimlico, London.

She has also written several books about her designs. These include Home, Pattern, and A Life in Pattern. Her book A Life in Pattern came out in early 2018. It was released around the same time as her exhibition at the Fashion and Textile Museum.

Personal Life

Orla Kiely is married to Dermott Rowan. They have two sons together.

See also

• List of people on the postage stamps of Ireland