After a nearly 6-months hiatus, Orla Kiely (and I for that matter) are finally back! In September 2018, our favorite designer quite suddenly shut down her websites and flagship stores, leaving many fans to wonder what happened and if she would ever return. After months of speculating, we finally got our answers, thanks to an interview The Scotsman conducted with Orla Kiely. And today finally saw the relaunch of her website and what I hope will be the ultimate comeback.
In today's post, I'll focus on some of the major changes to the website, and we'll delve further into the available products later this week.
First up, the overall look of the relaunched website is much more streamlined. The main page has a white background with simple font and these four images showcasing the latest designs.
There's only three drop down menus - one for bags, accessories, and to explore the brand. The list of bags looks impressive, but there's actually not too many to choose from - just five different patterns (Solid Stem, Flower Tile, Stem Garden, Bunch of Stems, and Linear Stem), many of which appeared in the Autumn/Winter 2018 Lookbook before the website shut down last fall. While I'm not complaining, I do hope to see a return of her mainline collection, which included her leather handbags and accessories.
Many people are also noticing that delivery is quite limited - no longer are they offering worldwide shipping (such a bummer for U.S. fans such as myself), but they do note they will be expanding to additional countries later this year.
Some bag designs also have new names. For example, the "Bestie" shown above was simply called the "Backpack" or "Backpack Tote" in previous seasons. Some styles stayed the same, such as the Classic Shoulder or Midi, while others took on new names. Another example would be the Watson, formerly known as the Zip Messenger.
Another thing I noticed, and something I've always wanted, are photos of the bags shown on models. While dimensions have always been given in the product info, these pictures are super helpful to get a better idea of its size and how it looks worn.
Overall, I AM SUPER EXCITED for Orla Kiely's return! I was in disbelief when I first heard the news that her company went into liquidation - I didn't understand what it all meant and I just could not imagine never seeing my favorite designer create something new again. The relaunch of her website is just the beginning and I am looking forward to seeing what she has in store for us.
[side note]
In a weird way, OK's hiatus probably came at a good time for me personally. As you are probably well aware, I myself have been absent from this blog, even before news of the company's struggles. At the time of my last post (a loooong 9 months ago), I began working two jobs while juggling household duties, taking care of my family, and battling the worst anxiety I'd ever felt, which I attribute largely to postpartum depression. However in the time since, I resigned from one of my jobs, which itself alleviated a lot of stress, but I also got serious about losing the baby weight. Eating better and working out more has contributed immensely to both my physical and mental health, while the resurgence of my favorite designer has inspired me to get back to doing one of my favorite hobbies - writing this blog. I do hope I can mirror Orla Kiely's relaunch with a relaunch of my own. So thank you for sticking around and...welcome back.
