Style Notes: Red-hot swimwear from Mona Swims, Loewe Paula’s Ibiza pop-up and a new online styling service

Given her very hands-on approach to business, I wasn’t in the least bit surprised to learn that Carla did all the photography for her latest collection, which is titled Timanfaya and inspired by the volcano of the same name in Lanzarote.

Carla’s collection hums with vibrancy, and my favourite pieces include the ‘Zandra’ silk kaftan (€550) in the ‘Magma Siren’ print, a fish-scale ombre in shades of gold, copper and pink, colours inspired by the flow of magma and crystal-like rubies and topaz.

It is Carla’s attention to detail that stands out for me, like in the silk V-neck ‘Xarracca’ dress (€520) with skinny straps in contrasting leather suede.

Carla also does these shapes in the ‘Indra’ print with its seriously compelling mix of ethereal blues and coppers, greens and golds. Indra is the goddess of atmosphere and Carla was inspired by the crystallisation of magma into lava, where crystals, magmatic gems and colourful gases are found.

Besotted fans talk about the comfy fluidity of the ‘Bedouin’ kimono in silk charmeuse (€595), and there’s no doubting the day-to-night appeal of the one-shouldered ‘River’ tie kaftan (€390) or indeed the very striking ‘Bond’ bandeau swimsuit in a metallic gold (€220). Pack with confidence because it’s a total head-turner on both the beach and dance floor.

Carla spent years living in Ibiza, which gave her a real, authentic feel of beach life, and now she is living beside the sea in Dublin and creating fabulous original prints by experimenting and blending her watercolours and ink drawings with her photography .

Her swimwear includes the black ‘Reptilian Cheeky’ bikini, with top and bottoms priced at €110 each. The fabric looks like leather but is, in fact, a textured Lycra with 18pc elastane.

The two-tone, one-piece ‘Kaia’ swimsuit (€250) has a sports-luxe vibe and cut-out waistline, and it’s hard to beat the retro ‘Marilyn’ one-piece (€250), with a plunging neckline and high waist. Carla says it flatters all shapes and sculpts the silhouette. monaswims.com

Island edge

The Loewe Paula’s Ibiza 2024 pop-up at Brown Thomas, Grafton Street, opened this week. The collection is inspired by the iconic Paula’s boutique, which became synonymous with the counter cultural movement in the 1970s, and an expression of island life.

This 2024 collection has a real graphic edge. Archive scarf prints pop up. The Loewe signature basketry has a new woven raffia version of the iconic ‘Puzzle’ and ‘Puzzle Fold’ tote, as well as the ‘Font’ tote and iraca basket in new colours.

The raffia ‘Puzzle’ includes graphic stripes designed to follow the cuts of the bag, making it vary in colour and unique in design and pattern.

If the model in the campaign looks familiar, that’s because it’s Irish actor Alison Oliver, who starred alongside Barry Keoghan in Saltburn.

The Cork-born actor was one of a number of international musicians and creatives invited by Paula’s Ibiza to be part of a visual portfolio, shot by Gray Sorrenti. brownthomas.com

Style queen

Paris-based Kara O’Sullivan has launched a new online styling platform, and the tenacious Dubliner has her sights set on taking it global.

Kara started out her career as a buyer at Brown Thomas, after which she opened the Greens Are Good For You store with her pal, Johanna Dooley, offering clothes and rental opportunities.

The name of her new venture, Kara Made Me Do It, reflects the 29-year-old’s ambition to encourage clients to step out of their comfort zone and experiment more with vintage and preloved pieces.

She built the brand and website with her best friend, Rachel, who owns branding and web design company RaRa Lab.

The styling process starts with the client filling out a detailed questionnaire. Kara sends different mood boards to assess their style and creates a mood board to form a ‘vision’ and suggest ‘shopable’ looks.

“A lot of people want to find interesting and unique, one-off, sustainable pieces but they just don’t know where to look for them,” said Kara. whose special launch prices start at €50.

There’s ‘The Weekender’ package (€100), covering three-day, two-night looks with options, while ‘The All-In’ package (€150) is a wardrobe refresh aimed at helping you build a timeless capsule collection. karamademedoit.com