Brought to life with outré prints, considered shots of colour and a warming sense of nostalgia, Orla Kiely’s wardrobe is every bit as enviable as we imagined …
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Tales From My Wardrobe, a style series that explores the wardrobes of THE GLOSS community, is a love letter to the pieces we reach for again and again; the hard-earned investment purchases that bring joy and the items that supercede mere ‘clothing’ to carry memories and foster emotional connection. In this instalment, seminal Irish designer Orla Kiely, founder and creative director of her eponymous fashion brand, shows us inside the wardrobe of her home in South-West London.
“I’m a very instinctive purchaser and tend to fall for pieces with little notice,” Kiely, who is originally from Shankill, says. “Gladly, I’m not lusting after anything at the moment because, if I am, it can be hard to resist.” Peppered with print (naturally), shots of colour and some discerning vintage finds, the most apt descriptor for Kiely’s innate sense of style is smile-inducing. See inside her playful and nostalgic wardrobe below.
“My favourite piece in my wardrobe right now is a blue vintage dress that I found at Liberty when I was browsing. I had a big event to go to, so that was in the back of my mind. I am drawn to something instantly! The only consideration after the first glance is ‘will it suit’ and ‘does it fit’. This dress was perfect and my look, which I accessorised for a more casual, sporty vibe with a polo underneath and trainers, was set.
The most sentimental item in my wardrobe is an Aran-knit cardigan, handed down to me from my mother. Not only is it very special to me, and great for winter warmth, it’s the perfect boxy shape, like a jacket. I upcycled it with very sparkly, giant buttons — it’s not immediately ‘me’ but I do love a strong, simple statement.
It’s so hard to find good, simple dresses these days; I’m always quietly looking. I recently found a solid orange, very 1970s-inspired Tory Burch smock shirt dress on eBay from a previous season in my size and I couldn’t resist it. It was also a bargain, which makes it more fun. Although, the best bargain in my wardrobe was probably from when I was in Paris a couple of years ago, where I randomly found a Claudie Pierlot suede shirt that spoke to me, for some reason, and it was super discounted. It wasn’t perfect; it had shirt tails, very mens, very much an over-shirt. I looked at it in my wardrobe for a while and never touched it, until one day I decided to cut the tails off for a more cropped look, like a jacket. I can honestly tell you, to my surprise, every time I wear it I am stopped in the street … it seems to tick a lot of cool boxes.
I am not a big spender, but I love good quality pieces, and I’m happy to splurge on something with quality that is timeless. A more recent splurge was an Andrew GN dress bought on Net-A-Porter for a wedding we were invited to. I have also worn it to a couple of garden parties and have felt very happy in it. The fringed sleeves are a slight hazard, but worth it for the impact!
When it comes to cost-per-wear, my camel wool Max Mara coat has been a great investment. I like a coat to be long enough to cover dress lengths and I am always on the lookout for something with a bit of swing. This coat was perfect and, as it’s camel, it works with all kinds of colours and prints.
The least fashion item I own that I wear all the time? I have two pieces that are my absolute winter essentials — I really do wear them every day. Firstly, my Petit Bateau black polo neck tops from the children’s basics range. I buy age 16! They are the best quality jersey rib, they never get baggy and the neck never sags. They work under everything. The other essentials are my black wool blend tights from Wolford: an investment but worth every penny.
I had been meaning to go to one of the biggest outdoor markets at Kempton Park Racecourse for the longest time. I finally went in May of last summer and was overwhelmed by everything there, from wonderful antique jewellery to mid-century classic furniture. Jewellery is something I’ve become interested in more recently and I found a great selection of vintage paste brooches of varying quality. The market is so overwhelming by its sheer scale, and watching the dealers buying and selling was fascinating. I’m definitely going back soon with more familiarity; knowing where everything is and a good night’s sleep beforehand because it’s a very early start.
I never leave the house without an Orla Kiely bag. I tend to go for something small, for minimal essentials, and lightweight. I have often been seen searching for my bag at work to be told I’m already wearing it! A story I often tell about my clothing is about an Orla Kiely bag many years ago. Early on in our business, when we had just started, I was very excited to see a girl in London carrying a favourite design of mine walking along a quiet street near where we lived. Naively and spontaneously, I said to her, “That’s my bag!” She got very defensive while pulling the bag close to her body and replied immediately, “No it’s not, it’s mine!”
Apart from my handbag, my most hardworking accessory has to be a mohair scarf. I love Foxford and have a near rainbow of colours. They lift every outfit and keep me very warm. Often, I wear one all day in the studio, never taking it off. My favourite at the moment is the oversized yellow one.” @orlakiely
See more: See Inside Val Forde’s Stylish and Sentimental Wardrobe
