Pop Art flower queen Orla Kiely made a rare Stateside visit to present her spring collection in conjunction with her store’s relocation. The new Bleecker Street boutique, which will open in a few weeks, “just suits us in a way,” the Brit said.
Cyclical fashion being what it is, everything old is new again — and in this case, that’s a good thing. Kiely’s lineup, focused on peasant-dress silhouettes, looked fresh. She said she was looking for “a more modern and simplified interpretation of the look, but still capturing the freedom and spirit of the era.” Her reference: the California music festival circuit in the Seventies (think Big Sur Folk Festival) and, specifically, the little-known sister of singer Joan Baez, Mimi Fariña. “She was really on the scene then and the muse for the collection.”
Whether floor-length or above-the-knee, Kiely’s free and floaty dresses were fashioned from a fresh batch of her signature floral prints — from a simple black-and-white daisy pattern to a bold tropical pattern in burgundy, navy and cream — accessorized with Swedish Hasbeens clogs.
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Scandinavian folk art played a part in the lineup, appearing as floral embroidery on the dresses and bags — especially the season’s hit bucket-shaped offering, the Posey. A white eyelet sundress with a ruffled bodice recalled another muse of the era, Mia Farrow. On hand at the presentation were two English roses in Kiely’s latest looks: DJ Tennessee Thomas and stylist Leith Clark, who collectively channeled both Farina and Farrow — albeit without the pixie cut.