January 28, 2021 - January 28, 2021
Orla Kiely and the Fashion and Textile Museum’s Head of Exhibitions, Dennis Nothdruft, will be in conversation at this intimate discussion.
In this rare opportunity, hear about Orla’s journey from her first collection of hats presented at London Fashion Week in 1994, to the successful worldwide brand known and loved today. Discover the inspirations behind Orla’s designs; the patterns of the 1950s and 1960s, and designers such as Mary Quant, Shirley Craven and Lucienne Day.
Hear how Orla explored the power of decoration to transform the way we feel, through the 2018 exhibition, Orla Kiely: A Life in Pattern and its accompanying book. Delve into the designer’s world – how she works, what has inspired her and how her facility with pattern has produced designs that have resonated around the world.
Orla Kiely is one of the UK and Irelands most successful designers. Her stylized graphic patterns are innovative, influential and instantly recognisable. Since receiving her MA from the Royal College of Art in 1992, Orla Kiely has created a style that captures the spirit of a world that yearns for certainty in tumultuous times. Inspired by the up-beat post-war years, her nostalgia is ours: for those optimistic days of economic recovery, youthful discovery and innocent certainty. 
