Fave Looks: Orla Kiely Spring 13

9.19.2012

If she’s known for anything, Orla Kiely is marked by her young at heart vibe. It was no surprise, then, to see a mini Van Leeuwen truck parked in front of her Mercer Street store.

Further approach yielded more fun-at-heart quark: in the back of the store, there was a hippie style rv turned video viewing booth, and the sounds of Tennessee Thomas playing 60s jams and French pop filled the room.

Fashion Week is typically known for its breakneck pace and non-stop busy mode. But for the first time ever, I understood the Corona ads where people step out of the office and onto the beach. The store transported me and it was full on blasting a sunny and fun vibe that put me right into vacation mode. I grabbed a PIMMs cup and sipped my way through the collection.

Of course everything was very Orla Kiely replete with sixties inspired silhouettes and prints, sprinkled with a strong but nuanced touch of 50s Cocktail silhouettes throughout. A strong collection continued with an assortment of shift dresses including one that was crocheted. Some of the neater details were scalloped collars and sophisticated bow detailing on dresses and handbags. Travel was clearly part of her inspiration in this collection, and I’m not being artsy or profound when I say that: the assortment literally included the world’s cutest mini airplane prints and sailboats print displayed in a number of color patterns including Neapolitan (of course). Fabrics included both a white sheer 1960’s graphic flower in a sporty tee and a flirty skirt. The collection popped with colors of grass green, sherbet pink, lipstick red, navy blue, and white.

I left wanting just about everything in her collection, and a vacation. But as they say during Fashion Week, I’ll sleep (and vacation) when I’m dead!