Enter Carla Johnson, a Clontarf native who has fused intricate print work, expert craftsmanship and a dark and sensual aesthetic to create MONA, a swimwear brand taking the fashion world by storm. Johnson has always been fascinated by art, design and fashion, and says her grandmother taught her to knit aged seven. “From then on, that was what I did instead of playing with dolls. I was constantly cutting up and customising my clothes as a teenager for myself and my friends, and putting my own take on everything I bought.”

While studying Printed Textile Design at NCAD in Dún Laoghaire, Johnson began work on a swimwear collection, but as she readily admits, it wasn’t quite as polished as her irresistible new collection. “It was horrible!” she laughs.

But Johnson learned quickly, and her work earned her the ‘Designer of the Year 2016’ award at the Irish Innovation Awards in Galway, as well as the overall ‘Most Innovative’ award the same year.