Is this the last we’ll see of Orla Kiely?
It’s with a heavy heart we learn the news that despite its popularity with everyone from supermarket chains to The Royal Family, after 23 years the Irish fashion and homewares retailer closed the doors to its retail stores and website in the face of financial difficulties.
We’ve loved enjoying Orla Kiely’s brilliant and bright design in our homes - some of the most iconic colour and pattern we've seen for decades. Her ways with colour and pattern are bold and her textiles, homewares and collectables crossed boundaries of time and style.
In a statement on their website, the company said,
“Kiely Rowan Plc, the retail and wholesale fashion business of Orla Kiely, has ceased trading as of Monday 17 September 2018. This means our retail stores in London and Kildare and our online business have been closed.
We apologise for any inconvenience caused. Orla Kiely’s Home and Design licensing business will not be impacted, and its selection of accessories and homewares will continue to be sold through its distribution partners.
Thank you for embracing our brand and designs throughout the year and for your ongoing support.
Orla, Dermott and the Team”
According to The Guardian Orla Kiely is a victim of a struggling retail economy in the UK and is not alone in the mass closure of high street stores as consumers switch to online shopping and spend less on the whole.
Earlier this year the brand was celebrated in a retrospective exhibition at London’s Fashion and Textiles Museum, during which Kiely said, “I hope that visitors will take away a sense that our type of print is much, much bigger than Stem and that the body of work is more than they ever imagined.”
Whilst we are very sad to see the brand disappear go from UK high streets, we are happy to learn that Orla’s products will still be available for purchase through retail partners.
Here is where you can buy the pieces in Australia and online:
