Orla Kiely Product Launch | New Blue Badge Co. Products!
Introducing our new and exciting range in iconic, Orla Kiely prints!
We’re really excited at Blue Badge Co right now. We are thrilled to announce that, as of March 5th, we’re introducing a whole range of our products in fabulous, nostalgic prints from Orla Kiely! That’s right. The internationally renowned designer from Dublin!Queen of Prints, Loved By a Princess
With her globally recognised and enormously popular patterns, Orla Kiely (pronounced Kylie) has been named the Queen of Prints and has earned the crown. Orla Kiely’s designs are distinct, prolific and ubiquitous. Always fresh, and simple, she works with colour and pattern in a unique and elegant way. At once subtle and bold, original yet familiar, playful but with a reassuring, formal, harmony, Orla’s designs have broad appeal.
Kiely's celebrity fans include Kate Middleton, Duchess of Cambridge who has worn dresses from her fashion line on a number of occasions.
A Child of the Colourful 60's
Born in 1963, Orla Kiely grew up surrounded by glorious pattern. It certainly made an impact. She began her journey through the world of design at the National College for Art and Design in what must have been the late 70’s. After graduating she moved to New York to work for a wallpaper and fabric designer. Orla returned to London to complete a Masters in knitwear, mainly making hats. They must have been good hats as the collection she created for her thesis was bought by Harrods! She continued making hats for a while but, when visiting Orla at the London Fashion Week her father encouraged her to focus on bags instead. He saw greater economic potential in bags as he noticed everyone at the show had a handbag but no one was wearing a hat.
"I love the order and regiment of repetition and how everything can be patterned in this way, as if you are looking at the world through a prism or kaleidoscope."
Orla Kiely from her book entitled - Pattern
Finding Her Niche
In the late 1990’s Orla set up her own business, the Orla Kiely Partnership, with her husband, Dermott Rowan and started revolutionising handbags.
Orla Kiely’s handbags were already making a colourful splash in the bland world of 90’s minimalism. And then she started laminating the cloth they were made of. So far this had only been done for tablecloths. It was a stroke of genius! The freedom of printed fabric designs combined with weather resistance similar to leather? Yes please! It was through designing prints for her handbag collections that the familiar, Orla Kiely style emerged, and where the ubiquitous Stem pattern evolved.
'Stem' is a signature pattern which now features in all Kiely’s collections. You will find Stem in its 'Linea' incarnation, in both Dandelion and Tomato across our own Orla Kiely range.
Going Global
Orla Kiely’s designs have since spread far and wide, across the globe and into all areas of life, from home furnishings to fashion. I’ve seen Orla Kiely designs on stationery, luggage, cars, gardening equipment, phone cases, watches, umbrellas, the side of a building and a double-decker bus! And now on Blue Badge Parking Permit Wallets and other Blue Badge Co Independent lifestyle products!
Watch this space the collection is going live on March 5th.
Here's An Exclusive Sneaky Preview Of The Range...
