ALTHOUGH she is Irish (and at one stage worked with Paul Costelloe), Orla Kiely's work is not as well known as it ought to be in her native country. Which is a pity because over in Britain where she's now based, Kiely is fast becoming queen of accessories. In particular, her range of bags which manage to be functional and fashionable at the same time are increasingly passing through all the right hands. In London, Orla Kiely bags are carried by such prestige stores as Harvey Nichols, Selfridges and Space NK, while her label is also seen in Saks Fifth Avenue in New York and Adam et Rope of Tokyo.
This season, thankfully, the Kilkenny Shop in Dublin is also carrying her latest range, the best to date. Kiely has produced a collection in the year's most popular fabric, nylon but in addition her designs come in hard wearing wool melton. The option is either plain black or else a funky red and yellow check which will cheer up the most sombre winter outfit. Next season, she'll be producing her first collection of belts but you can start your collection of her work right now by buying one of the bags before everyone else discovers them.