The sisters grew up in Ballyclough, Co Limerick, with their parents, JP and Teresa, sisters Natasha and Therese, and brothers Philip and Nicholas.

Josette (32), is the eldest in the family, and she qualified as a graphic designer from the Limerick College of Art and Design. She worked for Aer Lingus prior to opening Chica with Mena in 2002, and is the creative genius behind the stores' distinctive image and design. Josette is married to Martin, and has a six-month old baby boy, Cameron.

Mena (29), studied marketing and French at the University of Limerick, and moved to London after graduating, where she worked in media and publishing, and in marketing with the BBC. Mena deals with PR and marketing for Chica, and she now divides her time between Dublin and London.

Mary-Kate (25), studied economics and finance with Spanish at the University of Limerick, and at the Universidad de Granada, Spain. She spent time living in Australia and New York, before returning to Ireland in 2004, when Josette and Mena asked her to join the company. Mary-Kate specialises in dealing with the financial side of the business.

The glamorous sisters own and run the two Chica stores in the Westbury Mall in Dublin, and have just opened their first London store near the old Spitalfields Market, which features the ultra-feminine and opulent boudoir signature decor of Chica. Stocking a wide range of designer clothing, jewellery, bags, belts, shoes, and accessories, Chica has become renowned as the place to find the perfect outfit for that special occasion.

Josette on Mena When Mena was born I remember being sneaked into the hospital, and seeing this little beautiful baby with dark hair and blonde streaks. From that point, I realised she had a certain sparkle to her. She was a highly independent and feisty little girl, who wrote her first novel at seven, and planned to run a multinational at eight!

I have always been impressed with Mena's determination and positive outlook on everything. She has an inherent sense of style, and we both worked throughout college in fashion retail, and always planned our perfect boutique together.

Mena thrives in vibrant cities like London, and her favourite is Paris, so who knows when we might open a Chica store there.

Josette on Mary-Kate Katie, my baby sister, was always laughing and smiling, and we were always dressing her up. When Katie was two, I pulled her limp body from a swimming pool, unconscious and not breathing, her lips a dark blue purple, but thankfully her bubbly, wonderful self remained with us. Katie was on the Munster tennis team, the senior squad hockey team, and was a straight 'A' student . . . I was in awe of her.

Katie is so adventurous . . . she toured Asia solo and headed off to New York on her own, and she got us all surfing, including our dad. No matter where she is, I'm on the phone to her daily. What is there not to love about her, because she's beautiful, has impeccable fashion sense and is great fun to be with. We would be lost without her.

Mena on Josette When I was 16, I took a year out of secondary school to do a secretarial course, and I got to hang out with my cool sister at lunch and all her intriguing friends from art college. We would happily spend all day rummaging through vintage shops, and Josette always had a knack for finding hidden treasures.

As the eldest in our family, Josette was very much the pioneer who had to experience all the firsts: first disco, first boyfriend, first wardrobe to be raided, and now . . . first baby. Josette is a new mum to baby Cameron, and it is such an exiting time for us all. My apartment has been baby-proofed, and I can't wait for Cameron to come and visit, now that he has his baby passport.

Mena on Mary-Kate Mary-Kate and I have always been close since our stage school days, and we love a bit of the spotlight. She is an energetic, positive, intelligent person, who is far more grown up than her years. Sometimes I feel she is older than me, because she is so worldly and always full of wise advice. Her interests vary widely from developmental economics to high fashion, of course. We're like an old married couple, and could spend hours having coffee and chocolate and people-watching. Yet, we always seem to end up in the funniest situations, like the time we found ourselves locked into Holland Park and had to climb the railings to get out. When the two of us get together, life is anything but boring.

Mary-Kate on Josette I was definitely inspired by Josette when I was growing up. She was so passionate about fashion, and I remember watching her getting dressed and being utterly awestruck by all the clothes and the glamour of it all. She was, and still is, very creative and independent, and was always very much her own person.

Josette was never afraid to speak her mind, or stand out from the crowd, and as I went through those insecure teenage years, she was a great role model and the first person I would go to for advice. Since we both started working together, our relationship has become even closer, and now she also comes to me for advice. I feel so privileged to have the opportunity to share in her creativity. and also to spend so much time together.

Mary-Kate on Mena Mena was the baby until I arrived, and in spite of the fact that my arrival was a bit of a disruption to her world, we have always gotten along really well. I must admit there was a lot of hero worship on my behalf around Mena, and I remember following her around like a shadow as a child. We were always getting up to mischief. I wanted to cut my hair when I was three, and of course Mena was willing to give me that edgy new look, and cut off my long curls into an asymmetrical pixie cut.

Mena and I now work, holiday and have even lived together. Most people are shocked that I work with my sisters, but I always laugh and say that if we were going to kill each other we would have done it ages ago.