# Orla Kiely

> Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Orla_Kiely
> Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Orla_Kiely.md
> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orla_Kiely
> Source revision: 1342192299
> License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)

Irish fashion designer (born 1962)

Orla Kiely Born (1962-05-24) 24 May 1962 (age 64) Education Royal College of Art (MA) Occupation Fashion designer Spouse Dermott Rowan Children 2 Awards Irish Tatler Woman of the Year UK Fashion Export Awards (twice) UK Fashion Export Gold Award Website www.orlakiely.com

**Orla Kiely**, [OBE](/source/Officer_of_the_Order_of_the_British_Empire) (born 24 May 1962)[1] is an [Irish](/source/Irish_people) fashion designer based in London. She began her career designing hats, and moved on to design work on [handbags](/source/Handbag) and a variety of other items including [kitchenware](/source/Kitchenware) and cars. She received a master's degree from the [Royal College of Art](/source/Royal_College_of_Art). She worked with several companies before setting up her own business.

Kiely Rowan PLC, the retail and wholesale entity operating the fashion business under Kiely's name, ceased trading on 17 September 2018 but has continued selling through its distribution partners.[2]

## Biography

Kiely credits her grandmother with being the creative influence in her life. Her father was an [accountant](/source/Accountant); her mother studied science before being forced to give up work by her employers after she married.[3]

Kiely was educated at [Loreto College, Foxrock](/source/Loreto_College%2C_Foxrock).[1] She qualified as a textile designer at the [National College of Art and Design](/source/National_College_of_Art_and_Design) in Dublin and moved to New York to work for a wallpaper and fabric designer.[4] She moved to England to work for [Esprit](/source/Esprit_Holdings) while studying for a [master's degree](/source/Master's_degree) at the [Royal College of Art](/source/Royal_College_of_Art) in London,[5] primarily in [knitwear](/source/Knitwear).[4] In her exit show at the RCA, she displayed a range of hats which were purchased by [Harrods](/source/Harrods). She did design work for [Marks & Spencer](/source/Marks_%26_Spencer) and [Habitat](/source/Habitat_(retailer)).[5]

She began designing handbags and hats after her father noted during her first [London Fashion Week](/source/London_Fashion_Week) that everyone was carrying a handbag, but no one was wearing a hat.[6] In the late 1990s, she had the idea to laminate cloth for handbags: "At the time, no one was doing anything like it. Laminated fabric, in those days, meant tablecloths."[4]

Together with her husband, Dermott Rowan, she formed The Orla Kiely Partnership in 1997. Her husband explained in an interview, "Nothing was planned, the whole thing started by accident. Kiely was consulting for other companies and designing her own collection at the weekend, which she would give to me to organize. We had this chaotic situation where deliveries of her designs would come into our apartment and if I didn't get them out by 5 pm, there was nowhere to sit!"[5] Kiely showed in London Fashion Week and secured her first export orders. The following year, they took the collection to Premiere Class.[7]

She has been awarded the title of Visiting Professor of Textiles at the Royal College of Art and was made a Senior Fellow in 2016.[3]

In June 2014, Kiely was awarded an honorary degree from the [University for the Creative Arts](/source/University_for_the_Creative_Arts).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] In 2015, Kiely was made an Honorary Fellow of the British Institute of Design. She also was made an Honorary Doctor of [Norwich University of the Arts](/source/Norwich_University_of_the_Arts).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## Design work

Kiely design work on the back of a London bus

Kiely has been described by *[The Guardian](/source/The_Guardian)* as "the Queen of Prints."[8] Her designs have been used for a variety of objects, including [kitchenware](/source/Kitchenware),[9] [stationery](/source/Stationery), [furniture](/source/Furniture),[5] [wallpaper](/source/Wallpaper),[3] a range of [Citroën DS3](/source/Citro%C3%ABn_DS3) cars,[10] and [Pure Evoke Mio](/source/Pure_(company)) radios.[11]

She has also designed a refillable water bottle called the "Wottle", which is a collaboration with the water filter company [Brita](/source/Brita_(company)). The bottle features her green-stem design and is made from [high-density polyethylene](/source/High-density_polyethylene), a recyclable plastic material, and produced by a company in [Suffolk](/source/Suffolk).[12]

Her business operates out of a studio in Pimlico, London.

She has completed two publications entitled *Home* and *Pattern*, both published by Conran Octopus. She released a third publication, *A Life in Pattern*, in early 2018 to coincide with her exhibition at the [Fashion and Textile Museum](/source/Fashion_and_Textile_Museum) in May.

## Personal life

Kiely is married to Dermott Rowan; they have two sons.[13][8]

## In popular culture

In July 2010 Kiely was one of six contemporary, internationally renowned Irish fashion designers featured on a set of [Irish postage stamps](/source/Postage_stamps_of_Ireland) issued by [An Post](/source/An_Post). The other designers featured were [Paul Costelloe](/source/Paul_Costelloe), [Louise Kennedy](/source/Louise_Kennedy), [John Rocha](/source/John_Rocha), [Philip Treacy](/source/Philip_Treacy) and [Lainey Keogh](/source/Lainey_Keogh).[14] Kiely's stamp was an 82c stamp bearing her name in large orange letters at the top along with an image of a handbag with her leaf design against a white background.[13]

Her fashion line has been worn by [Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge](/source/Catherine%2C_Duchess_of_Cambridge),[15][16] and celebrities including [Kirsten Dunst](/source/Kirsten_Dunst)[5] and [Alexa Chung](/source/Alexa_Chung).

## Bibliography

- *Pattern*. London: Conran Octopus. 2010. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-84091-553-2](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84091-553-2).

- *Home*. London: Conran. 2013. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-1-84091-618-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-1-84091-618-8).

## See also

- [List of people on the postage stamps of Ireland](/source/List_of_people_on_the_postage_stamps_of_Ireland)

## References

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-times2010_1-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-times2010_1-1) Davidson, Andrew (12 December 2010). ["Yummy mummies' favourite"](https://www.thetimes.com/article/yummy-mummies-favourite-d3ntv7q38nd). *The Sunday Times*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** ["Orla Kiely to close retail and online businesses"](https://www.rte.ie/news/business/2018/0919/994673-orla-kiely). *[RTÉ](/source/RT%C3%89)*. 19 September 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-goodwebpatternreview_3-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-goodwebpatternreview_3-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-goodwebpatternreview_3-2) Jenkinson, Emily (2 September 2010). ["Pattern by Orla Kiely"](https://web.archive.org/web/20180926052202/http://www.thegoodwebguide.co.uk/home-garden/interiors/book-reviews/design-inspiration/pattern-by-orla-kiely-book-review/12891). *thegoodwebguide.co.uk*. Archived from [the original](http://www.thegoodwebguide.co.uk/home-garden/interiors/book-reviews/design-inspiration/pattern-by-orla-kiely-book-review/12891) on 26 September 2018.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-cuttingedge_4-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-cuttingedge_4-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-cuttingedge_4-2) Burt, Kate (22 October 2010). ["Cutting-edge patterns: Kiely's unique designs have made her interiors label a massive global brand"](https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/cuttingedge-patterns-orla-kielys-unique-designs-have-made-her-interiors-label-a-massive-global-brand-2113265.html). *[The Independent](/source/The_Independent)*. [Archived](https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220524/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/house-and-home/interiors/cuttingedge-patterns-orla-kielys-unique-designs-have-made-her-interiors-label-a-massive-global-brand-2113265.html) from the original on 24 May 2022. Retrieved 7 February 2022.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-couttswoman_5-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-couttswoman_5-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-couttswoman_5-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-couttswoman_5-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-couttswoman_5-4) Walshe, Barbara. ["Orla Kiely: The Irish Charm"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110221195333/http://www.couttswoman.com/2008/february/features/orla-kiely.asp). *couttswoman.com*. Archived from [the original](http://www.couttswoman.com/2008/february/features/orla-kiely.asp) on 21 February 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-6)** Emling, Shelley (5 June 2009). ["A designer's gift for understatement"](https://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/06/business/global/06spot.html). *[New York Times](/source/New_York_Times)*. Retrieved 7 February 2022.(subscription required)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-RTE_7-0)** ["The Afternoon Show, RTÉ One"](https://web.archive.org/web/20090918073009/http://www.rte.ie/tv/theafternoonshow/2008/1110/guest649.html). *[RTÉ News](/source/RT%C3%89_News_and_Current_Affairs)*. 10 November 2008. Archived from [the original](https://www.rte.ie/tv/theafternoonshow/2008/1110/guest649.html) on 18 September 2009. Retrieved 30 November 2009.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-myspaceguardian_8-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-myspaceguardian_8-1) Abrahams, Charlotte (10 May 2009). ["My Space"](https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/may/10/ola-kiely-designer). *The Guardian*. Retrieved 7 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-9)** Hart, Carolyn (25 October 2010). ["Food news: Hallowe'en cupcake decorations, Orla Kiely's kitchenware, and more..."](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/foodanddrink/8078978/Food-news-Halloween-cupcake-decorations-Orla-Kielys-kitchenware-and-more....html) *[The Daily Telegraph](/source/The_Daily_Telegraph)*. Retrieved 7 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-citroen_10-0)** Chapman, Matthew (14 January 2011). ["Citroën brings in Orla Kiely for limited edition DS3 model"](https://web.archive.org/web/20110119231754/http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/News/Articlex/7f138d64c39c46d9918a47145b6ea2a7/Citro%C3%ABn-brings-in-Orla-Kiely-for-limited-edition-DS3-model.html). *mad.co.uk*. Archived from [the original](http://www.mad.co.uk/Main/News/Articlex/7f138d64c39c46d9918a47145b6ea2a7/Citro%C3%ABn-brings-in-Orla-Kiely-for-limited-edition-DS3-model.html) on 19 January 2011.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-11)** Newcombe, Rachel (3 November 2010). ["Orla Kiely Pure Evoke Mio DAB radio"](https://www.freshdesignblog.com/2010/11/orla-kiely-pure-evoke-mio-dab-radio/). *Fresh Design Blog*. Retrieved 28 February 2025.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-12)** Shepard, Anna (12 September 2008). ["Green living: can Orla Kiely wean us off bottled water?"](https://web.archive.org/web/20080917232559/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4739263.ece). *[The Times](/source/The_Times)*. Archived from [the original](http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article4739263.ece) on 17 September 2008.

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-worldof_13-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-worldof_13-1) De Rosa, Sophie (27 September 2010). ["World of: Orla Kiely, designer"](http://fashion.telegraph.co.uk/news-features/TMG8020570/The-world-of-Orla-Kiely-designer.html). *The Daily Telegraph*. Retrieved 7 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-14)** ["Magnificent Irish fashionista stamps"](https://web.archive.org/web/20140203001930/http://www.worldstampnews.com/2010/07/magnificent-irish-fashionista-stamps). *World Stamp News*. 18 July 2010. Archived from [the original](http://www.worldstampnews.com/2010/07/magnificent-irish-fashionista-stamps) on 3 February 2014.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-15)** Wasilak, Sarah (28 October 2015). ["Kate Middleton Wore This Exact Outfit 3 Years Ago, and It Still Looks Just as Good"](https://www.popsugar.com/fashion/Kate-Middleton-Wearing-Gray-Orla-Kiely-Dress-38895660). *[PopSugar](/source/PopSugar)*. Retrieved 7 February 2022.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-16)** Hilliard, Mark (18 September 2018). ["Orla Kiely closes retail and online businesses"](https://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/orla-kiely-closes-retail-and-online-businesses-1.3633713). *[The Irish Times](/source/The_Irish_Times)*. Retrieved 7 February 2022.

Authority control databases VIAF GND WorldCat

---
Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Orla Kiely](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orla_Kiely) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orla_Kiely?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.