Orla Kiely (London, UK)

A few years ago, I caught my friend V. obsessively clicking her way through eBay and I was immediately intrigued, seeing how (at the time) this lady rarely bothered to shop online. It seems she was searching for a bag from a then unknown designer Orla Kiely (V. is a bit of a bag addict), who's pieces she had come across while still living in London. Any excuse to shop is a good one, so I joined her in her quest to find the perfect tote for the best price possible. I was immediately charmed by the colorful prints and retro styles that appeared on my computer screen, while V. ended up purchasing a signature pear print canvas bag on sale from the official online store.

SS10 campaign photos (images: Orla Kiely).

Years later Orla Kiely has become almost a household name thanks to numerous collaborations, expansions of her flagship stores and increase in stockists. I will admit that a lot of the stuff really isn't my style, which explains why I have yet to buy any of the clothes or accessories, but I'm always tempted by some of the homeware items - by now V. has of course even purchased the wallpaper. And since she's getting married this year, I thought it would be a good idea to scour the main flagship in London to see if I could find any potential wedding gifts.

A selection from the SS10 lookbook (images: Orla Kiely).

Fresh out of design school, Orla Kiely's career began in 1993 when she was commissioned by Harrods to design a range of hats. The Irish designer began working on a handbag collection in her spare time and four years later, a capsule line for UK department store Debenhams led to the founding of her own company, which to this day is still privately held by both her and her husband. Collaborations with Tate Modern, Marks & Spencer and most recently Target (to name a few) have since cemented her success and in 2005 the first flagship store opened in London's Covent Garden. Her rise in popularity wasn't just attributed to the cute retro-inspired collections but Kiely's ability to expand into other categories where she could apply the iconic stem or pear prints. Which explains why you can pretty much deck out your entire house with Kiely's products and if that's not enough, there's also stationary and even camping equipment available.

Retro looks all around... the wood paneling added a homey touch.

A selection of clothes near the wall and some of the smaller accessories I found on shelves.

Even during a brief phase when I was obsessed with prints, Kiely's versions were a bit 'too much' for me (I have this aversion to looking like wallpaper), but I was always charmed by her adorable collections of clothes with their girly vintage aesthetic. Browsing any of her stores is a very fun experience though, even if you're not a huge fan of her style. Once you've entered the boutique, it's like stepping back in time and you feel like you're in another world. The London store has two entrances and the one I chose led right into the bag and clothing area. The interiors have the same retro vibe as her pieces and the cozy setting gives the impression you're in someone's living room. Wooden floors and walls, printed rugs, patterned wallpaper and even an old-fashioned TV complete the look.

The signature stem-print on wallpapers and wallets...

Those who love her bags will undoubtedly head straight to the small selection of purses in the far corner. I started browsing a rack of clothes - some with prints of course, but many were kept fairly simple and could easily be integrated into any wardrobe without giving the impression you were a former cast member of 'That 70s show'. I spied some cute shorts, cropped jackets and striped cardigans - along with the more colorful items such as the knitwear with a sailboat print or a ruffled floral dress.

An overview of the basement corner filled with bags and clothes.

More bags along a glass wall and luggage items near the stairs.

To see more, the next step is to head to the basement which houses the largest retail space of the store. When I arrived another shopper was already eagerly trying on different bags near a glassed wall section that displayed a range of the colorful totes. I once again started with the clothes and was quite enamored by a simple white dress (yes, she does those too) and a plain silk crepe number in turquoise. Even the sailboat prints were starting to grow on me, though I'm not sure I could pull them off just yet.

Mannequins sport some of the key SS10 looks with more on display along the red wall.

The very cozy seating area (left), one of the sailboat print dresses (top) and the quaint changing rooms with their sunflower chairs (bottom).

The area was once again reminiscent of a living room with a large couch and coffee table in the middle of the room surrounded by cupboards containing smaller accessories and stem-print mannequins sporting key looks from the SS10 collection. Aside from the classic canvas print bags and leather purses you'll also find a range of luggage items near the stairs. I noticed that even the changing rooms had the most adorable wallpaper and sunflower print chairs. Although I didn't see any more furniture items this time around, they do exist and tend to be custom-made. I once sighted a pear-print armchair which V. of course promptly wanted to buy because "it matches my handbag", but unfortunately the pricing wasn't as compatible. Nevertheless if you want to add some Orla Kiely spice to your house or apartment, there are plenty of options...

More smartly dressed mannequins and yet another wall of bags.

Going up another set of stairs at the opposite end of the room I ended up in the homeware department, which is also where the second entrance of the store can be found. This is where you can peruse everything from bath towels, mugs and bed sheets to lamp shades, cushions and doormats. Rolls of wallpaper were available as well, although my attention was captured by the cool retro bike (not sure if it was for sale) which had a travel bag slung over it. A glass panel on the floor allowed you to view the basement area below one more time, just in case you do feel like you missed something.

Bed sheets and towels on display behind a colorful bed (left & top right) and a closer look at the colorful mugs (right).

The front of the homeware section with its glass panel floor (left), a few notebooks (top) and a cool retro bike near the window (bottom).

Orla Kiely items can easily be found throughout the world and she has 16 flagships in total - 12 of which are in Japan where she's reached near cult status - with plans to open more. Stockists like Anthropologie carry her line as well, but if you're in immediate need of her colorful retro designs and prints, the best place to shop is probably the official online store which ships globally and where you'll also find past-season pieces at a reduced price.

More from the SS10 lookbook (images: Orla Kiely).

Address: 31 Monmouth Street, London WC2H 9DD
Opening Hrs: Mon-Sat: 10:00-18:30, Sun: 12:00-17:00
Orla Kiely Homepage & Online Shop