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The owners of Kaala22 Carol Sheehan and Deirdre Hussain in their new store on Patrick Street, Fermoy.

Finding the perfect hat, that statement necklace or the earrings that will set off your entire outfit can sometimes be a challenge, as all of the shops seem to have the same things, but Kaala22 hope to change all that by stocking items that cannot be found anywhere else in Cork.

The boutique opened its doors on Saturday last, June 21, on Patrick Street in Fermoy and it’s a joint venture between Deirdre Hussain, originally from Ballyhooly and Carol Sheehan, originally from Carrignavar.

Both Deirdre and Carol grew up with Fermoy being one of the nearest shopping towns and Deirdre had already seen what a great business community the town has through her Rodari business, so the decision to bring Kaala22 there was a natural choice.

“A lot of people I meet cannot believe how busy the town is and we’ve been getting great feedback in person and on Facebook, as it’s another business in the town and people are delighted that we are offering them something new and different. People have been very impressed by the little touches, such as the packaging and the beautiful bags that they bring their products home in,” Carol said.

They have also been getting great support from traders in the town with support and advice being offered by fellow traders.

Carol and Deirdre met in 1997 when they were both working in a costume jewellery boutique in Cork city, while studying in UCC.

While in college, they developed an interest in design and jewellery and after they graduated, they both spent a number of years working in Asia: Deirdre in South Korea and Carol in Japan. They both then travelled the world, soaking up design trends on their travels in Asia, Europe, the Middle East and South America.

“We both spent four years abroad and we hope that Kaala22 offers people something quite different, both of us have different styles and we want to give customers something they  won’t find on the high street.

“Our products reflect trends from all over the world and we’ve been to trade fairs in London, Paris and Germany and will have things that no one else in Cork has,” Deirdre  told The Avondhu.

She added that they will also be buying from as many small and upcoming designers as they can, as they got to meet a lot of them at the various trade fairs and fell in love with both their designs and the interesting stories behind them.

The name of the shop also has an exotic feel to it and carries its own interesting story.

“The word ‘Kaala’ is from the Urdu language meaning ‘black’, which captures the style, elegance and timeless beauty that the shop represents. We wanted a foreign word, but also something people could pronounce. The number 22 is a lucky number for both of us and fittingly, our first trade fair was in London on February 2, so that’s where the 22 comes from,” Deirdre said.

“We are aware of how jewellery and accessories can allow people to develop their own distinctive identity and stand out from the crowd. We want customers to come in and treat themselves to a little luxury at an affordable price,” Carol explained.

At the moment, Kaala22  employs three people, but they are hoping to take on another employee in the next few weeks and in the busy season, the boutique could bring even more jobs into the town.

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