Pattern
From her early signature bags, the collection has grown to include a complete womenswear line, accessories, travel and homeware, sold worldwide. The book is illustrated with many examples of Orla’s work, along with inspirational images that have shaped her style, and gives a personal account of what informs her work and inspires her designs.
This is the perfect book for anyone who loves design, not just fashion.
I have one copy worth £25 to give away to an LLG reader (sorry, due to the weight of the book, this one is for UK readers only). Just leave a comment below, telling me either what the first piece of Orla Kiely was that you bought or were given, or simply why you think you should get this book
Pattern
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I already have a copy of the new book (it’s fantastic) … but I’d really love to share the experience with one particular very good friend who deserves some cheering up Orla Kiely style
My first Orla Kiely purchase was, naturally, the classic stem print midi bag which I still use every day and I have a couple of others for special occasions.
The first Orla bag I was ever given was for my 40th birthday by my two best friends and fellow Orla addicts. It is a teal blue etc. bag from 4 years ago, and I have had so many people ask where I got it. Sadly, it is almost ready for retirement.
I love love love and love everything by Orla Kiely! I work very close to her lovely shop in Seven Dials (=temptations everyday!!) and really enjoy visiting the shop even if only for some window shoppping: the explosion of colours and lovely patterns put me in a very good mood! I would love to win this book, I would use it as my daily, inspiration book
Thanks for the opportunity!
Oh i’d absolutely love to get my hands on that book!
My first bit of Orla Kiely was purchased at a sample sale, not a particularly exciting tale, but it the only way I could ever afford any of her designs. It was a “lovebird” dress, a garish 60s style print with a peter pan collar made in the softest silky fabric.
I’m currently studying Fashion Design, Styling and Promotion at university and such a book would be extremely helpful to add to my very tiny collection of reference and inspiration books. x
I blame Louise. She introduced me to Orla Kiely a few years ago and since then I am addicted. So much so my daughter is named after her. So this is for my beautiful princess Orla May x
I brought an orla kiely bag 6 years ago and I’m now on my 11th bag. I have a wardrobe full of her retro clothes and my boyfriend thinks I’m obsessed with her but then he does have to sleep under her stem duvet cover and drink out of her mugs !!! If I got chosen to have this book it would add to my collection and drive my boyfriend mad !!!!
I deserve to win this book because I am Orla’s biggest fan. I spend all my money on Orla products and own 2 learther bags, 2 laminated bags, a travel bag, a vanity bag, a zipaway, bedding, cardigan, umbrella, 2 purses, 2 notebooks and a mug. So I think it is only fair that I have something added to my collection for free
My first bag (a stem print design) was bought with a matching purse 7 years ago to the day to celebrate being made redundant and moving onto being a freelance graphic designer. It was a good month! I also met my future husband and we’re now getting married on the 25th of this month! How about giving me the book as an early wedding present!!
Orla Kiely changed my life.
Gone were the cheap imitation leather bags.
I was a proper grown up with a gorgeous, funky, roomy giant stem print bag. Strangers would stop me in the street to talk bags. I had arrived.
I now have *ahem one or two, I crave a leather ..if you are listening Santa,
the book would be a beacon of light in the cold wet Welsh winter x
I confess unlike little sis I am unable to afford the real deal, but did once find a wonderful stripey boiled wool shopper in the Designer for Debenhams range by her. This was way before she became so popular and now I wish I had stocked up because now imagine how much they would be worth?
Rest assured if the book came my way I would use it to educate a whole new generation of Orla Kieley lovers!
I am Orla Kiely bonkers. The first item I bought was a note book which I bought because I loved the pattern. I had never heard of Orla Kiely at this point and then I tore out an article in a magazine with a beautiful room and I kept it hoping one day I could have a living room like that one. I sourced a retro Sputnik light from Germany just like the one on the picture and then over time purchased several Orla Kiely items. It wasn’t until I looked at the article a few years later that I realised it was an article in the very lady herself! She is my inspiration for interior design. I have even brought a 1960’s caravan which has stem print wall paper all over it! Yippee!
My first Orla Kiely boulevard purse was given to me as a leaving present from work… Something I had covetted for a very long time! It sparked my obsession with her beautiful designs and retro styling. I now have a house full of Orla handbags, and accessories and to top it all off I have just named my 6 week old baby Orla.… So now i have no excuses buying new designs!!!!
.…if only Orla Kiely made baby clothes!! Lol x
I have been in love with Orla’s designs since I first saw them in a magazine about ten years ago! I’m now carrying my black on grey stem shoulder bag with my Orla wallet and an Orla small zip bag inside. That wallet is such a work horse; still in excellent condition after being used day in day out for more than five years! My very first Orla purchase was a shoulder bag (style I don’t see right now) in orange on brown mini stem print. I also have an alpine print shoulder bag in muted berry colors with leather trim, a skinny silk scarf, a retro sweater in camel with red trim, and a dot-print beach bag. I LOVE all of my Orla goodies, and this book would just be the most inspirational addition to my collection. I was made redundant last year so my money situation won’t allow for me to buy any more Orla Kiely treats for the foreseeable future; this book would be such a treat right now
Thanks for the wonderful giveaway!
I love Orla her pieces are always cheering me up. Just one look at ther pieces and Spring is coming to my mind.
I would love to have the book, to browse through, learn, and have better taste myself.
Cheers
Lidia
I coveted a bag for such a long time — saved and saved and then bought one — a navy and black stem print midi sling. Every single day it gave me pleasure, until it got too worn and had to go into retirement. I saw some bedlinen in John Lewis recently — I think I’d better get saving my pennies again!
I just finished an internship with Orla Kiely yesterday and I loved it.. I would love to learn more about her and her work through her book, as I am also beginning a textile design BA in two weeks so it would come in useful! The first Orla Kiely products I have owned I actually received yesterday. Orla and her design team kindly gave me some beautiful notebooks, bag and perfume
xx
I love Orla Kiely…she is a true inspiration.
Her work has embroiled me in a love affair with pattern and print! I seriuosly can’t get enough.
I have since began to develop my own business in hand screen printed homewares. Her use of colour and bold print ignites and encourages my own creative capabilities.
Elle (not sure if it was UK or Singapore edition) had a picture — 2 models in orla Kiely tshirt — maybe about 7/8 years back. In trying to track down the tshirt, I came across her bags, love at first sight with her patterns, especially her apple print. Back then it wasn’t as easily available as it is now (not in Leeds anyway). Complained to hubby that they didn’t have the maxi bag in Selfridges London when I visited. Xmas that year he got me the oval flower print maxi, make-up bag and spectacle case. Still use that maxi now and then eventhough certain bit of the laminate has cracked and there are holes on the base corner. Can’t seem to bring myself to part with it as it’s my first.
The first Orla Kiely piece I bought was a duvet cover and pillowcases from the range she did for Sainsburys — I coveted them every week until they eventually went in the sale and I then bought them. I wish I had bought two, as mine is still my favourite duvet cover but now is sadly coming to the end of its life. Since that first purchase, the only other Orla Kiely items I have been able to buy are a stem-print notebook and a mug. I LOVE Orla Kiely’s inimitable and inspirational design language — I think I should have this book to inspire me to keep on with studies so I can one day afford to buy lots more Orla Kiely pieces. A girl must dream…
Hi, just wanted to say that I love your blog, and its what inspired me to start my own.
I’ve become very interested in Orla Kiely and her infamous tree patterns as I would love to base my next GCSE art module on them as the fit in perfectly with what I have in mind. In addition I love finding new inspiration for my own blog and using in my ‘wall of inspiration’ and ‘little book of inspiration’ for my naturally arty personality.
Thanks
I’m just switching from photography to a more illustrative/design-led business and would love to read about Orla Kiely’s journey and inspirations, finding out how she has managed to cross so many borders dividing design, fashion and home wares. Oh — and my favourite bone china mug has one of Orla’s designs — it makes me smile when I use it — a gift from my clever sister.
I would love this book — I need to have more inspiration and to feel it under my fingertips to drool over the pages would make my year!
My first piece of Orla Kiely was found in my local vintage clothing shop.….it’s a mecca for students, fashionistas and generally anyone who loves a funky bargain.….anyway, I was having a good rummage through the rails and baskets full of amazing stuff when I spied a corner of some really funky patterned oilcloth thing in a basket.…“that looks rather special” I thought to myself so I dug my way down through the net scarves and plastic handbags to find an Orla Kiely wallet in really good condition. I’d marvelled at the simplicity and colour of her designs before but being a poor student at the time I would never have been able to afford a new something of hers. I carefully carried the wallet to the cash desk and gingerly asked the lady behind it how much she wanted for it.…by this point I’d pretty much decided that I’d pay anything for it as it was meant to be mine…and to my joyous surprise she said “Hey, you can just have it, you look like you really like it”. It’s been in my bag ever since and I love it as much now (nearly ten years on!) as I did when I first found it
I’ve never owned any of Orla Kiely’s pieces, although I’d love to — I don’t seem to be very good at saving up! Her book would make a wonderful start to a collection, though.
I buy Orla Kiely for my wife as she absolutely loves her stuff.
The first thing I ever bought her was the stem print umbrella. Took me weeks to track one down in the UK!
Since then I have bought her a purse, another umbrella, a shopper and a coin purse. Oh! better not forget the Ltd edition Bewley’s Tea-bag box!!
My first purchase was a multi stem midi bag — I still have it and I love it. I have plenty more to add to the collection and I love all the furniture, wallpapers and lampshades.
I would love the book for me to drawl over whilst I recover from an operation Im having tomorrow.
I could do with some cheering up today — and Orla’s patterns and designs are always so colourful
I’d simply love this book to cheer me up with its beautiful colours and designs now that summer’s almost gone!
My first Orla product was a fantastic duvet set bought from John Lewis. Now my once boring bedoom looks fabulous and instead of being the room I sleep in it is a room to relax in, just love Orla!
I was given an Orla Kiely mug by my work colleagues and now I’m hooked!
I’ve never bought Orla Kiely, but I have always admired her from afar!
An Orla Kiely Mug was my first purchase a gift request and I then was hooked myself.
My mum has terminal cancer but 5yrs and still going strong! she’s taken up patchwork and we went to the patchwork show togerher recently i would love to introduce her to Orlas simple graphic fabrics
I was given a tote style bag by my boyfriend for christmas and now I now Iam totally hooked!!!
My first Orla piece was a red and white stem bag that I got from one of her amazing sample sales at the Truman Brewery a long, long time ago!
Hi LLG,
Sadly, I don’t own anything by Orla Kiely as it’s a little out of my budget — so maybe that’s why I deserve this book!
Still, £25 (or free if I win!) is a good price to pay to have a little bit of Orla Kiely in your life.
Thanks,
Bargainista Fashionista x x x
My first Orla Kiely piece was a coffee mug. I love hot drinks and Orla’s prints always make me feel warm like I’m at Grandma’s for tea.
I’ve admired orla kiely designs for a while now, but the price tag is just too high for my literature student budget (even for a notebook! as can be imagined my reading list costs so much and leaves little spare for a leisure reading budget!)
I love the abacus flower print. Her designs are so simple yet have such an impact. They’re just so fresh and vibrant.
I’d love to win the book. I was meant to be heading to italy next week but my Dad has been admitted to hospital and i can no longer go. I’d love a little of that Orla Kiely fresh vibrancy to brighten my days before it’s back to uni for the onslaught of final year.
Gosh, i hope that didn’t sound like a sob story!
x
Not sure if this giveaway is still on or not but I love this book! And it needs to be added to my bookshelf because it is likely the only piece of Orla I will ever own.
Also, I live in the US but have relatives in the UK that you could ship the book to should I win.
)
I’ve got the fabulous multi car laptop bag http://bit.ly/9rmHxS which I adore! I bought it to replace my tatty boring bag after getting my laptop stolen to cheer myself up… it did the job! I’d love to win the Pattern book pleeeeease as I’m about to move house now and will be in desperate need of inspiration! x
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