ORLA KIELY FALL 2016
I have been an Orla Kiely fan for over a decade. I collect some of her older bag designs; some of which are quite special and fascinate me design wise. Her quirky aesthetic from the early days led to some bags made up in wools, tweeds, and even knits! This is the special kind of stuff you don't get to do in commercial design (too expensive, not a broad enough appeal). Admittedly, it has been a personal goal of mine to work as a bag designer on her in house team some day. For me, her brand is the queen of prints, especially prints done right on bags.
Orla has her roots in print and knitwear design, but today her brand has expanded to include some product categories such as homewares and stationary. Her feminine, vintage, colorful aesthetic remains a beacon for me, in a sea of boring, safe, and minimalistic bag designs that are so mass produced these days. Who else understand the use of symmetry, asymmetry, and tessellation so well? Who else uses proprietary prints EVERY SEASON that are so brand right and well executed? It is no wonder to me why Orla's aesthetic has become the enduring brand it is today. When everyone else is trying to be like everyone else, Orla Kiely is trying to be like herself. Who else is doing bags like hers? She is the prefect case study on how a brand identity can carry a business. As far as I can tell, she has not bastardized the brand with an off-price line and doesn't sell her product at discount retailers. Bravo Orla! Keep your brand exclusive and direct to customers, it part of why we love it! Now I just need her to offer her clothing in larger sizes...
Above are some of my picks from her current Fall line. I am loving the maple leaf print, which is also a houndstooth!!!!!
