The Orla Kiely fall/winter 2017-2018 ready-to-wear collection was designed after the Seventies era socialites and ladies of the Upper East Side. Many of the ensembles ended up looking like the most expensive living doll clothes. I don’t mean this in a negative way at all, but these are the clothes many people wish they could wear but cannot convince themselves to, as they are designed for display as much as function, and the world tends to frown on that.

The Orla Kiely fall 2017 collection offers the options for people who want to dress in this manner, in today’s current day the opportunity to wear what they like. The collection is chic, redone and ritzy, a good collection that will work out easily in multiple areas as the aesthetics are easy to digest and appreciate. The collection seems endearingly simple in some areas and just the right amount of complex in others.

As an observation, the floral prints and intentional movement of some of the pieces feel very much like ‘youth revised’ in a positive way. According to Orla Kiely, the collection came from a twist on the inspirations – The Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie and the characters in the 1972 surrealist film, as well as the pages of a vintage issue of Vogue and the pages focusing on Diana Vreeland. These inspirations created this very specific collection that does appear to be part fantasy, just a different fantasy than what most people would look for.

It is no less important and I believe that will show in sales. The lure of the 1% which is exactly what Diana Vreeland represents, comes with the ability to wear clothes that are not designed for working in, do not require any more practicality outside of what pretty clothes are.

The clothes created offer so many different benefits. The ensembles are flattering to wear and come in colors that are easy to complement. The prints are pretty; they look well thought out and beautifully designed. The pleated skirt sections of the chiffon dresses are high waisted and flattering though some may have issues with the accordion line bibs. The fur cuffs on a pea coat with a tartan print were one of the more interesting pieces in the collection.

A lot of the colors used were dark, rich but dark with a bit of periwinkle blue mixed into a few looks. For those who intend to wear the clothes, the perception is cute, chic and easily seen as such as many of the looks are topped off with an adorable beret.

The inspirations of Orla Kiely are clearly seen throughout the Orla Kiely fall/winter 2017 collection with influences that are sure to ripple out again. The fashions of the inspirations are considered classics, and classics always have another way of coming about.

Photos courtesy of Vogue

Orla Kiely’s cutting-edge patterns are back on track thanks to the newest Orla Kiely spring/summer 2017 collection, presented at the New York Fashion Week spring 2017 on Thursday.

Born in Ireland and now based in London, for her spring/summer 2017 collection, Kiely travelled back to the late Sixties, focusing on the exact time when the more conventional Sixties motifs were changing and paving the way for the festival-ready Seventies-inspired patterns. In doing so, Orla Kiely tried to transmit every single aspect of the festival music circuit and movement of the late Sixties/early Seventies to her line-up, heading to California and blending in the mix a few vintage country-chic inspirations too.

Her goal? Providing us with “a more modern and simplified interpretation of the look, but still capturing the freedom and spirit of the era.” To better embody this spirit, Orla Kiely meandered around Woodstock’s backstage too, drawing inspiration from one of the festival’s key (yet little known) figures: Mimi Fariña.

Sister of the much more famous Joan Baez, Mimi Fariña not only was a talented singer and activist, but also one of the scene’s most inspirational and iconic trendsetters. “She was really on the scene then and the muse for the collection,” explained Orla Kiely backstage.

The Orla Kiely spring/summer 2017 collection fluctuates thus between two different motifs, revisiting both the Woodstock scene and the life that was happening outside of it.
Although bonded together by a common late Sixties theme, the collection could be divided into two main sections, namely the one that is stricter to the festival-inspired ensembles, and the one that got inspired by the southern USA’s prairie dresses.

While the first part is all about oversized tunic dresses, sleek shirts and billowy palazzo pants, the second one treats us to a mixture of poplin dresses and pilgrim collars, the refined hems of which balance the collarless necklines of the other proposals. Although the Orla Kiely spring 2017 collection mainly features knee-length dresses, some looks contemplate short shorts too, adorned with cute floral embellishments as a way to keep the overall bon-ton allure strong.

Overall billowy and with cozy oversized lines, the line-up also features sensually naïve details, such as lace hems and tactic contrasting patterns at the waists, the delicacy of which effortlessly enhances the figures without looking too eccentric. Orla Kiely then completed her proposals with modernist pairs of Swedish Hasbeens clogs, which we bet will likely become one of next summer’s ultimate must-haves.

If you happen to live or be in New York at the end of the month, and would love to have a look at/purchase some of the Orla Kiely SS 2017 collection’s pieces, they are going to be available where the collection’s show was held, namely in Orla Kiely’s brand new shop in Bleecker Street.

Photos courtesy of Orla Kiely

With all due respect to this brand and its devoted customers, for a moment it seemed like some of the looks from Orla Kiely’s fall 2016 ready-to-wear collection are what Katy Perry would look like in 50 years. It’s not about glitter or candy colors, it’s about the British royal style, tweaked and twisted, worked on, challenged, then twisted again… until you put it on a very young model, and somehow end up with grandma Katy. And since you’re probably warmed up with that idea, let us present the cutest, most adorable fall 2016 ready-to-wear collection, hot from the oven – Paris Fashion Week. Orla Kiely takes the entire responsibility for the cuteness of the images, that if altered just a little more, would be no different from its inspiration.

Kiely’s designs target a unique time period, which we haven’t seen a lot in the fashion pot this year. She has targeted the British ‘50s and ‘60s. And to confuse you even more, we’d love to give you another comparison by the designer herself, “Just imagine Anna Karenina but in Huddersfield.” The attributes to this captivating scene are the North of England and the “kitchen sink dramas” that were in bloom in the mentioned time period.

If you’re familiar with Kiely’s work, you’ll notice the one thing that sets her apart from every other designer – her prints or the very moderate use of them! Although that’s where Kiely’s magic works best, we were slightly disappointed to see very few prints in this collection.

Comfort is guaranteed, as some of the fabrics used in the creation were tweed, mohair, and shearling, often seen in one look, one design, cleverly organized in a more than tasteful manner. A-line dresses, midi and maxi skirts, dresses over turtlenecks, and some of the other trends that surfaced many other fashion shows previously were seen on Kiely’s catwalk as well. On the other hand, the beautiful pleat-skirts and dresses were a contribution to our new trend list.

Due to the extensive use of prints, it is hard to tell which color dominated the collection the most. Despite that, we are sure that honey-shaded colors like gold and brown were some of the most frequent ones, two colors that add an even more retro touch to the photos that already look a few dozen years old.

Glittery textures were often paired with feminine pink and ruffles or would it be more correct to say they were combined with the pink+ruffles formula, because this could be a serious weapon in the hands of a woman. And even when loose-fit is rocking the runways across the world, Kiely left a few alternatives like the waistline dresses for your consideration. As this trend is kept consistent, we can see our favorite Kate Middleton blessing the designs on another royal event we would love to review.

As a final touch, some of the looks were finished with a beret topping the soft and voluminous blonde curly hair of the models… is it weird we want to touch it? As strange as it sounds, Kiely used the seemingly overpowering modern atmosphere to serve a delicious alternative. Staying true to her unique style and taste, Kiely’s new fall 2016 ready-to-wear collection is scoring fans as you’re reading this. It looks like Paris Fashion Week will have more surprises up its sleeve. Stay tuned for more!

Photos courtesy of Vogue

Contrasts, floral patterns and feminine cuts: here we are again with Irish Fashion designer Orla Kiely, who has just presented her pre-fall 2016 collection and whose overall vibes channel some Seventies vibes that will make anyone fall in love with this collection. Mainly known for her retro prints and unique designs, London-based (but Irish at heart) Kiely chose to intertwine her all-round abilities as an artist (she is crowned as the Print Queen) with more joyful and fresh designs, even adding a touch of a feminine light pink hue to complete the Orla Kiely pre-fall 2016 collection.

Those who are particularly fond of Kiely’s collections will surely notice the lookbook’s backdrop: carefully in line with the overall contrasting theme, Orla Kiely showcases her abilities as an illustrator designing floral-patterned wallpapers as well, which also function as a friendly reminder that she indeed loves prints (and won’t probably ever stop using them in her creations). Her renowned illustrations have been so far used on almost any kind of objects, from furniture to kitchenware to wallpapers, and even cars. Her approach to prints recalls that of her looks: it’s modern, clean and somehow brings back warm nostalgic feelings. Moreover, to make everything reach her iconic modern and architectural approach, she often repeats patterns and constructions, creating a coherent continuum of pieces that complete one another.

Her pre-fall 2016 collection perfectly recalls this unique style of hers, as it clearly focuses on prints and structured cuts. The line-up serves us well-tailored and refined pieces, in which the floral patterns create cheerful color-blocking motifs with all the black, dark green and blue navy fabrics. The collection mainly focuses on the dresses, giving however enough room to explore some utterly cute long-sleeved jumpsuits in silk, full skirts, blouses, pleat-bibbed shirts and sweaters, as well as cropped Chinese knits and double-breasted coats, pieces that sound like the best options for any transitional season. To enhance the floral prints, Kiely had fun alternating them with solid-colored patterns, which help make the line-up even more dynamic and cheerful, if possible.

The collection also features some high-waisted tailored shorts and a juvenile long-sleeved shirt with a single big flower on the front that could serve as the perfect ‘back to school’ outfit. The entire collection radiates distinctive cool ‘school girl’ vibes, as it combines the socks with shoes trend with A-line dresses and sweaters over collared shirts, totally nailing the art of layering.

Focusing mainly on the waist, Orla Kiely still manages to skillfully accentuate the silhouette, too, playing with a clear sensual style throughout the entire collection. And it is that naïve sensuality of Kiely’s, who also chose to give her pre-fall 2016 collection her own vision of the ‘sheer fabric’ trend, adding a sultry lace pattern to an embroidered black midi dress.

Photos courtesy of Vogue

When speaking about Irish fashion designer Orla Kiely, the bright colors of the late ‘60s and early ‘70s pop up in front of our eyes just immediately. For her new Orla Kiely spring/summer 2016 RTW collection the designer brought together her signature leaf prints from about 20 years ago and the lovely hues of rainbow creating a peculiar scene of mini golf court. Backstage before her show Orla confessed that she did not play actual golf, though she liked golf quite much.

The runway show was quite interesting: the models were strolling around playing crazy golf and demonstrating the beautiful maxi dresses and metal-button midi skirts combined with headbands that gave a cute and polish finish to their mod looks. We like the comeback of the brand’s signature leaf print, as it gives a chance to be a bit more playful with your outfits, being cheerful alternatives to the traditional monochromes. The whole Orla Kiely spring 2016 fashion show created an illusion of a fun fairy-tale land, where you can be free from any complicated thoughts or decisions: just put on one of these lightweight dresses and walk out the door in a lovely summer-y style that’s so effortless and polished at the same time.

What is undeniably clear about the line is that it absolutely corresponds to everyday wear. You could wear the violet short X-dress with leaf-print sweater underneath to school or university, or one of the long-sleeve lightweight midi dresses to shopping or to a weekend outing. The collection is rife with easy-to-wear, practical outfits you’d go for on any occasion and especially on the days when you face a fashion dilemma. Stoll, this does not mean that you should look messy: the fun, classy Mary Jane shoes will make your entire look even more flattering.

The entire collection is as expected playful with bright colors and less flattering in terms of the fit: the numbers are either loose or too strict with straight lines like in case of the the yellow-violet leafy knee-length dress or the yellow short-suit with lace detail on the neck. The latter is a perfect variant for young girls to show off their beautiful legs and never look overdone.

For spring, Orla Kiely offers different variants of sleeve and skirt lengths, as well as necklines to cater to your style needs on different occasions and in any weather. There are also lovey tops, floral jackets and light coats available in the collection for a more precise choice. As for the taste, we should say that it is not for everyone as it totally corresponds to the highly set standards of politeness, reserved feel and conservatism that come tied to our concepts of the British culture. Orla Kiely offers her own way of thinking, designs and clothes, which are always distinguishable and memorable for their playful simplicity and reserved feel. The Orla Kiely spring 2016 collection is just to the point and we will remember it from the whole London Fashion Week.

Photos courtesy of Vogue

When thinking about Ireland, first things that spring to mind are beautiful tales, redheads, extremely green nature and good beer. But as long as here we talk about fashion, peculiar designs and fairytale like redheads are what we want to think about. Here is a fresh and “newly baked” topic for us to discuss, a story dedicated to those amazing “Irish” things: Irish designer Orla Kiely, based in London, has prepared an exciting advertising campaign featuring redhead Madison Stubbington. She is an Australian model with typical British-Irish looks: her red hair, light blue eyes, fair skin and positive feedback have paved her way towards the heights of the fashion industry up to becoming the new face of Yves Saint Laurent. Now she appears in this pretty Orla Kiely fall 2015 ad campaign injecting sparkly warmth into the overall dreamy scene created.

Photographed by the Ukrainian-born professional fashion photographer and painter Yelena Yemchuk, Madison poses for the pictures on the backdrop of high-rise buildings and lush green surroundings. The Orla Kiely fall 2015 collection is anything but bold, as all designs are quite preserved with almost no inch of skin showing. There are beautiful graphic numbers like the short peachy pink tube skirt topped with pink knitted sweater and an orange vest, the two-color deep green and pink A-line skirt topped with a grey knitted sweater with a light green neckline worn with a white club-collar shirt underneath. The idea here is to play with colors and create a stylish look without any obvious accent on the silhouette or skin, instead emphasizing the whimsical character and innocence of the look. See how curious is the oversize orange knitted sweater with thin white horizontal stripes on it: anyone would dream to have it for the days when you do not have any wish of overthinking the outfit and choose some skinny black pants and a top like this to radiate an effortlessly chic style.

Green is a favorite color of the designer, for sure: so many touches, hues and hints are used in the collection to obviously or vaguely show it up. We are in love with the salad-green fluffy oversize coat and the A-line skirt of the same fabric. They are so good for adding some color to the gloomy days of fall and winter while providing the necessary warmth to your skin. And just next to these desirable comfy pieces there come stylish long-sleeve, puritan-collar and bib-neck bell dresses printed in pretty white checkered and green geometrical patterns. Saying stylish we cannot but mention the mahogany two-stripe buttoned trench coat, which will certainly look as fashionable as ever even in like 10 years.

What makes the Orla Kiely fall 2015 campaign so special is that contrast is present in everything: the womanly garments and more personality-filled fun pieces go hand in hand like the golden shoes and wristlets with geometrical pockets on them. We might not be able to call it the most exciting and chicest thing, but it does have the distinct character in it that will make it differ from everything else. Isn’t it the main goal of any fashion thing?

Photos courtesy of Orla Kiely

Ali MacGraw pictured the Cambridge’s Radcliffe schoolgirl style in the newest Orla Kiely fall/winter 2015-2016 collection that was showcased in the library on the second day of London Fashion Week fall 2015. Both the atmosphere created and the clothing showcased came drenched in a lovely Seventies style harmoniously mixed and matched with Sixties mini silhouettes for retro cuteness overload. That was a comfy, cozy and easy-to-wear collection of retro chic attire options meant for the modest librarian girl, who loves bundling up in warm knits and perfectly tailored outerwear options spiced up with Mary Janes and creative handbags. She wears her hair in laidback braids and keeps her face fresh devoid of any makeup, looking young and girlish.

It’s the distinctive cheerful patterns, colors and retro silhouettes that have us enchanted every time we see a new Orla Kiely collection and that’s absolutely no exception about this newest selection of autumn-ready pieces ideal for casual everyday wear. There are no evening gowns and cocktail dresses showcased here, and we have enough of such pieces in all the other fall 2015 fashion lines unveiled, but what makes the latest Orla Kiely designs so outstanding and lovely is the functionality, wearability and comfort that they provide to the wearer. After all, we all strive to look and feel self-confident and comfortable in our day-to-day attire options, especially when it’s winter and we have to take the cold season factor into consideration.

The overall color palette screams Seventies, bringing shades of muted browns, yellows, grays and blacks, as well as deep greens, chestnuts, bright oranges and peach hues that add a bright and zingy touch to the entire collection. We have lots of color-blocked and geometric patterns inspired by graph paper, which come to break the monotony of the monochrome looks. The lengths showcased are diverse from mini to below-the-knee cuts, while in terms of the styles we see mainly girly and feminine dresses and skirts with just two or three pairs of printed tailored pants making an appearance. There are lots of Sixties A-line mini skirts and eighties swishing skirts available that are beautifully teamed with chunky knitted and cashmere sweaters in lively colors and prints. The grandma-inspired knitted cardigans add so much warmth to the looks, while the neat coats in different colors and lengths make the outfits even more polished and elegant.

In terms of finishing details, we see thick gray tights completing the skirt and dress ensembles, while bags available in different shapes and shades and Mary Jane shoes make the overall Seventies mood even more dazzling. Yet another collection unveiled proves that we are going to enjoy the stylish Seventies era for an entire season to come and we are more than happy about that!

Photos courtesy of WWD

Designing was all about hats for the Irish designer Orla Kiely, when she first entered the fashion industry. But everything changed rather rapidly, and today the label Orla Kiely produces not only clothes, handbags and shoes, but also kitchenware, bedding, and Kiely has even been known to design cars (there are buses in London adorned by her signature leaf/petal-looking icons). Kiely loves to experiment with patterns, textures and, of course, color. By combining inimitable color tones with her creative patterns and prints, she has created a unique style that can be identified as Orla Kiely after just one quick glance. The Orla Kiely spring/summer 2015 collection presented at London Fashion Week was inspired by the films Le Bonheur by Agnes Varda and Daisies by Vera Chytilova. Both movies belong to the movie industry of the 1960s, which explains the reasons behind the vintage designs and makeup of the models.

It’s amazing that knowing the style of this or that designer, we always know what to expect from them, yet every time, every single time these people of immense talent manage to surprise us. The Orla Kiely spring/summer 2015 collection made us mentally transfer into a country meadow, where thousands of flowers were blooming, where already green trees were blossoming and where reigned the most positive and bright colors.
One by one, Orla Kiely models appeared on a backdrop adorned with hand drawn flowers carrying a paper flower, which they placed in pots scattered all around the room. Kiely manage to transfer the ‘60s spirit with white collar long sleeve loose dresses in black with white patterns, pants in the same pattern paired with short sleeve pink blouses, white and pink A line dress worn under a belted coat in a very pleasant shade of pink, high waisted shorts with a matching short top, blue and white polka dotted dress with a shirt adorned with what appeared to be doodled flowers, a simple short sleeve dress in blue, black and yellow florals, baby blue button down dresses with belts, open shoulder dresses, high waisted skirts reaching below knees, simple black collared shirts paired with shorts decorated with yellow and black floral patterns and so on.

Oh and we think we need to have those Orla Kiely shoes in our lives. Which ones? All of them, yes, every single pair of them! They were all just so cute with those small flowers on the straps; the color tones were so harmonious and well matched, that we just can’t choose one pair as our absolute favorite. The same goes for the handbags, big and small, colorful and not so much, shaped like a big flower with petals; they are exactly what our wardrobe lacks.
We think Ms. Orla Kiely achieved what she was aiming to achieve through her Orla Kiely spring/summer 2015 collection. It really did make us feel the “flower power”.

Photos courtesy of WWD

The amazing and unique Orla Kiely fall/winter 2014-2015 collection unveiled during London Fashion Week is something matchless and indeed impressive. Inspired by the cute retro vibes and the timeless shapes, and matching all that with the uber-trendy color shades and combinations, the line illustrates a whole array of top flabbergasting and breathtaking pieces, which stand out with their interesting and sweet color palette, and the cute accessories they come matched with. The curious way of introducing the garments, during which the models simply walked around the benches with umbrellas, as if walking in a fall garden was something we could never expect.

The shimmery texture of the coats is thus the first thing that catches our attention in the Orla Kiely fall/winter 2014-2015 collection, presenting a combo of a creamy coat with some black prints and a cute pinky handbag and the option with the vice versa color distribution. The fur options are also here forming the following eye-catching alternative. The floral printed dress we see matched with one of these yellow fur coats is also noteworthy. The dotted looks with lighter toned dots on the black background are also worth mentioning here.
Also, we can’t but mention the nice and appealing combination of the green with black sweater and the chic navy blue flare skirt. The black dress with some nice cuts of floral patterns and the chic red handbag are included in the top looks of the Orla Kiely fall/winter 2014-2015 collection, too. For the lovers of the cat fashion, the collection also presents some looks having kitty prints.

For the sunnier looks, the Orla Kiely fall/winter 2014-2015 collection features some yellow pieces, put as fluffy sweatshirts matched with pinky pants, and dresses of same shade. This pink shade proves to be ideal for the outerwear options, too, being used for the following coat. The pale blue and brown are also key shades for an array of coats and suit and pants pairs. The shoes were also perfectly picked, mainly put as options with chunky heels and T-straps.
So don’t forget about the wonderful Orla Kiely fall/winter 2014-2015 collection when thinking about your best fall/winter looks, and opt for the striking pieces introduced here. The results are going to be even better than you could ever hope for!

Photos courtesy of Vogue

Orla Kiely continues to surprise her audience and most devoted followers with her long experience of sophisticated talent. The new Orla Kiely spring/summer 2014 collection unveiled at London Fashion Week was cute and aesthetic, as we had all expected. The fashioner knew how to make accessories elegant, adorable and vitally important in the woman’s looks. The classy taste of the colors and the delicacy of the shapes indeed made her appeals attractive and alluring.

The wild background and the natural scenario for the show made the outfits cuter and more emphasized the delicacy and femininity of the models and the outlines. The Orla Kiely spring/summer 2014 collection was definitely inspired from the British love for travelling in exotic places, such as Africa or some other fascinating places in savannas. The fashion show could also be a good peace message to the capitalist world to help the poor countries in those areas. The classy images of the models were relaxing and carefree and showed the eternal beauty of nature and feminine elegance.
The main colors of the Orla Kiely spring/summer 2014 collection were red, white, black, yellow and all the creamy tints, combined with a subtle taste and deep understanding of fashion. There were also navy blue coats with cute brown belts that could make even a spring rainy day a positive and bright one. The creamy coats and dresses of the collection would be absolutely charming to wear while walking in the old streets of Prague, Rotterdam or fickle Paris.

Another important element in the fashioner’s designs was the intelligent look that her outfits could give you. You could easily choose school dresses or college appeals from the variety of classic white skirts with dark sweatshirts, slim fit black skirts matched with cute pink shirts and just elegant dresses.
The last look of the Orla Kiely spring/summer 2014 collection was a simple white dress with knits and a cute pink hat. It’s actually quite obvious that Orla is just irreplaceable for her cute hats and stylish ideas to make outfits as comfy as possible.

Photos courtesy of WWD