Mad for motifs

No one knows pattern like Orla Kiely. Gabrielle Fagan catches up with the designer to find out how it can make you happy

Orla Kiely’s renowned globally as the Queen of Prints – and it’s a well-deserved title. The Irish-born motherof-two, who began by designing hats and handbags in the early 1990s, has seen her retro motifs – most famously stems and pears – adorn everything from housewares to wallpaper and clothes.

Her latest book, A Life In Pattern: And How It Can Make You Happy Without You Even Noticing, coincides with a major exhibition, Orla Kiely: A Life In Pattern, at The Fashion and Textile Museum, London, until September 23, 2018.

The designer reveals how it all began, her inspirations, and her tips on decorating the Orla Kiely way...

WHAT FIRST INSPIRED YOUR DESIGNS?

“Growing up just outside Dublin, I was aware of nature and I loved art at school. I’d always wanted to do fashion at art college – my sewing machine was my most treasured possession – until I discovered the option of printed textiles.

“As a student, I was very drawn to architecture, which influenced my earliest print designs, the strong geometric lines dictating how the pattern would work was something I loved. These early influences are still there, often informing the structure of repeats throughout.”

HOW DID YOUR BUSINESS BEGIN?

“I think back to working at my kitchen table, designing handbags with Robert, our baby son, on my lap. I had a fulltime position as a print designer in the fashion industry on a freelance contract, so those moments were usually after work on the weekend.

“We lived in a purpose-built, first floor Victorian flat, which doubled up as a design studio, office and distribution centre, where boxes of stock were delivered and turned around while I was at work.

“Every day my husband, Dermott, who had the business skills and entrepreneurial tendencies, would do all the jobs a strong team would normally do, in an office shared with Robert and his toys.

“We financed it ourselves from day one and our lives were invested. Our second son, Hamish, was born – and nothing could have been more motivating than our two little boys depending on us for their all.”

WHERE DO YOU GET YOUR IDEAS FROM?

“Nature’s a great source of pattern ideas. My personal take on nature has always been more abstract and graphic. I absorb inspiration in my travels, reading books, films, going to exhibitions, it never stops.”

DESCRIBE YOUR WORK

“It’s clean, controlled and orderly. It has a strong, bold graphic style, where colour plays along. Our style will always remain quite 60s and 70s, but our colours and prints continue to evolve – and we’re always open to off-piste influences for a quirky twist.”

WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE DESIGN?

“I can’t help but say Stem, the simple organic leaf motif. The idea arrived as an

Our style will always remain quite 60s and 70s, but we’re always open to off-piste influences for a quirky twist

inspiration while developing new print designs back in 2000. It was, as all good things often are, a very quick sketch. It has, for some reason, touched people throughout the world, and became the seed from which our brand flourished.”

HOW CAN YOU CREATE A SUCCESSFUL INTERIOR?

“Consider the space and light of the room. Think of those colours that you love the most. Research design eras you love, visit flea markets, vintage fairs and off-beat stores. Find a piece you love and be open minded.

A Life in Pattern: And How It Can Make You Happy Without You Even Noticing by Orla Kiely, is published by Conran Octopus, priced £25. Available now.