Pattern

by Orla Kiely

Back in the 1990's, when Irish-born designer Orla Kiely graduated from London's Royal College of Art, fashion was black, conceptual, devoid of pattern and frankly, pretty boring. Her very first collection of signature handbags turned the fashion world on its head, displaying a new sense of freshness and optimism. Now, nearly 20 years later, the graphic patterns and expressive colors of her apparel, handbags and home furnishings are instantly recognizable - and universally coveted.

In Pattern , Orla Kiely traces the pattern of her own development as a designer, providing useful information and inspiring insights that can help all of us develop a creative eye for color, shape, form - and pattern. Gain a glimpse of a typical fashion year, including the timing, production and presentation of seasonal collections. Come to understand the power of color, how it triggers emotional and intellectual responses, and how to temper those responses by combining and contrasting tones. And who better than Kiely to advise us on the use of pattern in our lives, be it in the clothes we wear, the accessories we carry, or the furnishing we surround ourselves with in our homes, from wallpaper to rugs, lampshades to linens? Vibrant illustrations and gorgeous photography make Pattern a visual treasure and a thoughtful guide to using pattern with confidence and joy.

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Art, Art Design, Fashion, Reference

304 pages, Hardcover

First published October 18, 2010

Reviews

[Hilary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely chunky book with lots of photos, a great flick through. I enjoyed the pictures more than the text. I do enjoy looking at Orla Kiely design work and I love her choice of colour. Nice coffee table eye candy.

Reread today, 21st September 2018, on hearing the sad news yesterday that Orla Keily has stopped trading. I love these trademark olive greens, mustard yellows, greys and oranges-in large geometric designs, I really liked this 70's look and I loved her kitchenware. This book shows her fashion designs too, which are really good. I hope Orla goes on to do something else creative!

[Arachnae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not just beautiful to look at, but a real insight into the mind of the designer, how her interest in design and fabric developed from a young age, in parallel with a well informed narrative abut how the Mid Century Modern style aesthetic came into being, Though she is modest about the clothes she 'inflicted' on her sister, the fact that at 12 she was already sewing, knitting and crocheting clothes for herself and siblings is humbling. Of such stuff are geniuses made.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew of the existence of this book, but hadn’t tracked down a copy to have a look at. Until a happy accident threw it in my direction. After a day in the office, when I can, I pop into the library to transition from work to home. I use this time to complete my timesheet (I’m a contractor), and to make any notes that have occurred to me in the 10 minute walk so far. One evening, a week or so ago, I sat myself down at a table moving some abandoned books out of the way to give my laptop space. One of the books I moved was this. Consider me distracted. Despite it being quite a large book, and my bag being pretty heavy already, I checked it out and brought it home. It’s been a lovely read. Part memoir, part colour/pattern/design theory, part catalogue. An interesting combination but I’m not entirely sure what to review it as - which reduces it to 4 stars. Beautiful photos, nicely written, a warm feeling book.

[Thabata · Rating 4 out of 5]

Orla Kiely became known for her vintage inspired, bold and colorful patterns, applied to all sorts of materials and from wallets to wallpaper.

This book is part telling the story of Orla Kiely as a brand, and how the it started and grew, and part design lessons about pattern but it is 100% eye candy. The prints are beautiful, the designs are inspiring.

[Lisa Baudry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic insights into Orla Kiely's background and thinking in regards to her business and work.

[Husna Rohmat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me understand the fashion industry better. I feel happy reading each page especially the one with visuals. The fashion/deco tips are hidden in between words.

[Niki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quite appreciate the detail that she goes into when describing her surface design process. Also gorgeous photos that had me coveting all sorts.

[Joel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Älskade denna. Väckte mina designerdrömmar till liv. En del självbiografi + introduktion till arbetet bakom att ta fram designer, med riktigt med plats för bilder. Vacker i bokhyllan dessutom.

[Amy in the Desert · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about her life, thought process and her patterns.

[Eling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, so admittedly I was already a fan of Orla Kiely's work, but I REALLY enjoyed reading about her journey + creative/production processes. Fascinating (and I thought really useful and specific) stuff about the actual step-by-step process she & her designers go through from conceptualizing to designing to producing all of their goods. Lots of good reading on color, pattern, materials, design and more. I would say this is a must-read for anyone interested in design or pattern. To me, it was worth it for just the photos, and I was pleasantly surprised by what Kiely had to say on top of that.

[AdultNonFiction Teton County Library · Rating 5 out of 5]

TCL Call Number: 745.4 Kiely O
Diana's rating: 5 stars

This coffee table book is an appealing read (or thumb through)
of devotees of midcentury-inspired design, as Orla Kiely has
built her modest fashion empire on graphic patterns, especially
her most recognizable stem print. The print first appeared on a handbag,
and has been reiterated in many color variations on everything from
wallpaper to Target coffee mugs to a Hong Kong bus. Through words
and pictures, she shares her journey from graphic artist to entrepeneur
to maven, never losing her humble appearance or artistic vision.

[romney · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly chunky book. Follows Orla Kiely's life and her career. Along the way discusses her work, inspirations, method, etc. Mostly it's images of her patterns, products, workspace and shops. Chiefly her products. Could be a good source of inspiration for colour combinations - or just for going out and buying a wodge of her products. I won't need to read it again, but it was nice while it lasted.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meticulous and exact are the words that best describe Orla's deisgns. Her use of colour and shape is inspiring.
Reading Kiely's book 'Pattern' has evoked a passion in me that first ignited while studying Textiles at TAFE. The thoughtful process of designing a pattern takes a lot of time, energy and above all patience. A successful design makes it all about the detail.
A must read for any designer. There's a lot to learn from her!

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved learning more about Orla (she worked for ESPRIT!) and love having a collection of all the patterns together in one book.

[Wendy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Turns out I like Orla Kiely enough to flip though the pictures, but not enough to read all the text in this ginormous (yet beautiful) book.

[Amina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting. Gorgeous pictures. Inspiring