These Irish business owners are blazing a trail – take inspiration from these Irish start-ups and success stories …
Katie Byrne, Founder, Inez & Paulie, Ireland
Sorting through her collection of vintage fashion, accessories and homewares during a house move sparked the idea for Katie Byrne’s new online vintage couture store, Inez & Paulie. “Amid all the clutter were two or three vintage investment pieces that had historical and resale value. After the move, I got into the mindset of buying less, but better, and realised we take better care of pieces we value.” Katie says the Inez & Paulie collection celebrates all-out glamour and playfulness and is inspired by 1980s Yves Saint Laurent and 1990s Versace. “I’ve a good sense of the vintage pieces that hold their value: Vivienne Westwood corsets, Thierry Mugler blazers and Yves Saint Laurent costume jewellery. Prices start from €70.” This year Katie will add men’s clothing and accessories and a small homewares collection. Look out for a reworked vintage collection, a collaboration with her friend Kimberly Gray Ennis. @inezandpaulie
Pádraig Whelehan, Founder, Brotherwolf, Australia
After an apprenticeship at Waldorf Barbers in Dublin, Pádraig Whelehan’s aim was to travel the world cutting hair. He worked in New York before settling in Melbourne, where he founded Brotherwolf, regarded as one of Australia’s most innovative barber shops. “The initial plan was to create a space for guys to hang out and get a trim,” he says. The idea quickly evolved into a regular music venue, and now the Brotherwolf Social Club hosts regular charity events, exhibitions and parties. “As our community grew, I wanted to keep offering quality products,” explains Pádraig, who launched his own brand of haircare products, No 113, and collaborated with artists on capsule fashion collections before launching his own designs in 2023. “My collections mix tailored streetwear with sportswear, with a nod to vintage. My focus in 2024 is to keep refining the brand, make quality garments and evolve each collection. I have showrooms opening in Paris and New York in January.” www.no113.com.au; www.brotherwolf.com.au.
Bruna Comastri, Co-founder, Amilli, Ireland and Brazil
“We were inspired by the rich legacy of Irish linen, which is acknowledged as being the finest in the world. The hardworking women of Northern Ireland’s thriving linen mills in the 19th century were affectionately known as ‘millies’, so the name Amilli was born,” explain Brazilian sisters Karla Casey and Bruna Comastri. Combining their skills, they launched Amilli fashion brand in December 2023. Brazil-based Bruna, a trained pattern maker, designs versatile pieces, from tailored woollen trouser suits to cotton shirts, linen waistcoats and midi dresses, using sustainable fabrics and deadstock from other design houses. One of the highlights of the launch collection (from €250-€750) is a slightly oversized trench coat with matching headscarf. “The business is founded on integrity and putting people and purpose to the fore,” says Karla, a business marketing specialist who has lived in Ireland for the last twelve years. This year, the duo will expand their quietly luxurious offering to include accessories, and collaborate with other eco-conscious brands, to amplify environmental initiatives. www.amilli.eu
Cormac Lynch, Interior architect, India
Dublin-born interior architect Cormac Lynch’s recent projects include interiors for Indian and international clients in Marrakech, Mumbai, New York, Dubai and London. “I love the variety of working in different design styles, whether it is designing high-end resorts for Four Seasons and Waldorf Astoria hotel groups or smaller schemes for private homes.”
Having studied Fine Art at The Institute of Art & Design in Dun Laoghaire, Cormac received a BA in Design from DIT and also studied interior architecture at The Utrecht School of the Arts in The Netherlands. “My studies and international experience have honed my design sensibilities. For me, good design should prioritise space and location; the building itself and its surroundings.” Now based in Mumbai (where he has won the coveted AD100 award for six successive years), Cormac lives in an elegant apartment that was recently profiled in AD and Elle Decor. “In 2024, I hope to work with more artisans and new materials.” www.cormaclynch.com.
Orla Maguire, Founder, Lash Star Beauty, USA
After graduating from NCAD with a degree in fashion design, Monaghan-born Orla Maguire spent her early career assisting stylist Catherine Condell. She worked in New York as sittings editor at Cosmopolitan magazine for several years, and during her years working on shoots, she dreamed up the idea of a line of products focused on eyelashes. “I founded Lash Star Beauty because I wanted a mascara that did it all. Once my lashes are done, I feel I can tackle whatever the day brings!” The line, which ranges from faux lashes (“good for up to 30 wears”) to a heated lash curler, is stocked at Harrods in London, and Bloomingdales in the US. Maguire is also the New York co-chair of the Cross Border Orchestra of Ireland, an Irish youth orchestra formed in 1995 as a result of the Good Friday Agreement. This spring, Maguire launches Hypernova mascara, a formula that’s easily removed with warm water. www.lashstarbeauty.com
Niamh McCarthy, Founder, Mindful Nation, London
I knew nothing about mindfulness when I worked in the music industry,” admits London-based Portlaoise native Niamh McCarthy. “I learned its value through personal experience and it is now an integral part of my everyday life. I found it was a gamechanger for my wellbeing, something that doesn’t rely on an external source. I wanted to spread awareness and help people find mindfulness in their own lives.” Since she founded her music-meets-meditation app Mindful Nation in 2023, it has proven a hit, with high-profile endorsements from magician David Blaine and musician Noel Gallagher among others. Developing the app also drew on Niamh’s experience as assistant manager for both U2 and Madonna. “Music is the connecting element: the classes on the app are like a timeless album, never out of date, that users can keep going back to again and again to support them through the highs and lows of life.” In-person events and adding new content and podcasts to the app are among Niamh’s goals for 2024.