Woman who was fired from job now owns global bikini empire
After being fired from her surf shop job, a Gold Coast woman created a swimwear empire adored by women across Australia.
Karina Irby borrowed $800 from her father and in six years built an estimated million-dollar global swimwear label.
The cheeky swimwear empire Moana Bikini has 413,000 followers on Instagram.
The 27-year-old was working as a surf instructor by day and in a surf shop at night, but she was fired after sending customers to other stores.
“I thought screw it, everyone had always said to me I should do my own bikini line, so that’s what I did," she told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
The entrepreneur created her own website, got a small loan from her dad, Patrick, and launched herself into the swimwear industry.
Originally from Port Macquarie, Ms Irby drew up her own cheeky-cut designs inspired from a previous trip to Hawaii, and got a manufacturer in Indonesia to make her first 20 pairs of bikinis.
Growing up, the Gold Coast girl said she was teased about her "big bum". She became "so self-conscious" that she would always cover her legs.
"Through high school I became more carefree. I thought, you know what, you can say whatever you want to me but I know who I am and I’m proud of who I am," she said.
The hate didn't stop there for Ms Irby, who claims people continued to underestimate her entrepreneurship, judging her on her derriere and blonde hair.
“They’ll say things like: this girl has to show her a***s off to get attention on social media, or she’s pushing photos of herself, or she doesn’t have a business and probably has a sugar daddy.
“Or she’s got blonde hair and a big a***s and doesn’t have any brains."
Her successful business is now able to support her quadriplegic father who was injured at the Quiksilver Pro surfing competition.
Ms Irby said her father had taken off his brace and was standing near the shoreline when his legs hyper extended, causing him to fall face first among shallow water and rocks.
"He came up floating like a dead man in the shallow water... He was completely paralysed," she said.
She said her dad is her hero and due to the success of the business she is able to help him out.
The entrepreneur said the success behind her business is her father, her army of loyal customers and the power of social media.
“Dad motivates me personally but the real motivation for the business is our customers,” she said.
