Amelia’s Magazine | Orla Kiely: London Fashion Week S/S 2014 Presentation Review

Orla Kiely S/S 2014 by Laura Hickman.

I forgot to apply for tickets to what was a very oversubscribed show, so it was lucky that I saw any of Orla Kiely‘s presentation this season – right at the end, when I managed to scoot in with some Polish friends I had run into in the queue outside the Elms Lesters Painting Rooms.

Orla Kiely S/S 2014 by Yelena Bryksenkova.

Once again the label had set up an intricate set, with digital prints of the wide African plains plastered across the walls: for S/S 2014 the Orla girl is on safari, dressed in immaculate style. She wears cute separates with a subtle military influence in the form of jaunty berets, epaulette detailing and handy patch pockets. Camo colours are given a seasonal uplift with injections of powder pink, tomato orange and dusty blue. Subtle prints come in the form of a ditsy pink lion scattered across a sweet summer dress and bolder zebra and giraffe designs. Origami elephants and rhinos adorn shoulder bags and shoppers, whilst tiger faces feature on the cutest of leather purses. The set was more cluttered than the wonderful typing pool of last season, with objects artfully arranged to suggest the theme and the girls clustered around a fireside, relaxing with a book, or painting. For the models it must be a very fun show to take part in. And did I mention the collaboration with Clarks? I’m already lusting after a pair of patent platformed bi-colour Orla Mariannes.

Orla Kiely S/S 2014 by Laura Hickman.