Orla Kiely and Uniqlo Collaborating
Ireland-born designer Orla Kiely has been a little busy of late.
Not only did she recently open her first U.S. store (in New York City's Soho), she’s also working on a collaboration with Japanese retail giant Uniqlo, the Wall Street Journal reports.
Kiely is best known for her printed totes, luggage, housewares, and paper goods, but her apparel collection—which includes both patterned and solid dresses, coats, and separates in her signature, retro-girlie style—is gaining a loyal following of its own.
"Since we opened the store in New York, people are discovering the fashion side and we want to be known for that," Kiely told the Journal. "Americans are responding to the taste. I think they like the style.”
Of course, she still holds her Irish roots near and dear to her. "I get my inspiration from everywhere, really,” Kiely said. “But I think a lot of it must come from my youth growing up in Ireland. Things that you maybe don't realize, you get later somehow, like my color taste or the nostalgia for the '60s and '70s."
In related news, check out Uniqlo's brand-new 85,000-square-foot store in New York.
