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A Life in Pattern: And how it can make you happy without even noticing
Orla Kiely has opened her archives to explore a life dedicated to print. From her earliest and most iconic pattern, Stem, to the evolution of her print design encompassing the worlds of fashion, homewares and beyond, Orla shares the full range of patterns and designs that she has produced since establishing her brand in 1995.
This is a celebration of Orla's entire body of work - of colour, of print and of a handbag loved by women all over the world.
Foreword written by Leith Clark, founder of The Violet Book and previously Lula magazine.
This is a celebration of Orla's entire body of work - of colour, of print and of a handbag loved by women all over the world.
Foreword written by Leith Clark, founder of The Violet Book and previously Lula magazine.
304 pages, Paperback
Published September 4, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 7, 2019
This was the monograph which accompanied the 2018 exhibition “A Life In Pattern” at London’s Fashion & Textile Museum.
It’s a beautiful look through OK’s botanical prints and styled fashion shoots. It’s a fantastic source of inspiration for lovers of design and pattern.
However, it lacked the extra autobiographical detail which was covered in the exhibition, which is why it wasn’t a 5 star for me.
It’s a beautiful look through OK’s botanical prints and styled fashion shoots. It’s a fantastic source of inspiration for lovers of design and pattern.
However, it lacked the extra autobiographical detail which was covered in the exhibition, which is why it wasn’t a 5 star for me.
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July 21, 2024This had a decent blend of patterns and the materials in use -- I would have weighted the patterns themselves a bit more, especially in the second half which focused on clothes and home goods. I liked best where they showcased variations on patterns or designs, showing how one motif can be endlessly explored.
There was very little in the way of text, just brief section introductions; what was there felt very business-y, not artist-y, pretty impersonal. I think it would have benefitted from more explanation from Kiely throughout, or more on material selection and process, or made more explicit partnerships with other brands to explain how they worked together. I was surprised by the tagline of the book -- how pattern can make you happy without you even noticing -- and didn't think the volume lived that out.
That said, Kiely and team's designs are delightful. I did find some of their clothing photo shoots surprising in that they were quite serious, unsmiling and even drab in setting. I suppose the clothing provides the sparkle.
There was very little in the way of text, just brief section introductions; what was there felt very business-y, not artist-y, pretty impersonal. I think it would have benefitted from more explanation from Kiely throughout, or more on material selection and process, or made more explicit partnerships with other brands to explain how they worked together. I was surprised by the tagline of the book -- how pattern can make you happy without you even noticing -- and didn't think the volume lived that out.
That said, Kiely and team's designs are delightful. I did find some of their clothing photo shoots surprising in that they were quite serious, unsmiling and even drab in setting. I suppose the clothing provides the sparkle.
March 10, 2019
As a lover of print and pattern, this book was a delight.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews