Fashion from the Loser label.

THERE’S a definite hippy vibe about Kinnegar beach these days thanks to a vintage Volkswagen camper van which has been converted into a coffee cart which also sells t-shirts and tote bags.
Loser is a clothing label and coffee van founded by friends Aille McSherry and Ciara Finnegan.
“The overall idea of the brand is to celebrate ‘losers’ like us who strive to be themselves and dare to be different,” Ciara explained.
The idea of owning a coffee cart was something the pair had thought about for a while and when they found the VW camper online they decided to give it a go.
Buying the van during lockdown, Ciara and Aille made good use of the time at home to sort out what was required to run a coffee cart.
Unsure how busy the area would be as the country continues to grapple with the pandemic, they have been pleasantly surprised just how well business has been since they opened two weeks ago.
Ciara Finnegan from Letterkenny graduated from Queen’s last year with a degree in Business and Spanish while Aille, who is from Manorcunningham, completed her degree in Creative Writing and English in Brighton.
“That’s where we get our coffee beans from,” Ciara said.
“We use Pelicano Coffee Roasters from Brighton, where we did our Bartista training before setting up and we are Pelicano’s very first international wholesale customer,” she added.
The pair had always talked about opening a coffee shop since their days working together in Sonder Cafe.
“We also love fashion and during the first lockdown we got together and came up with an idea to marry the two and incorporate a fashion element into the coffee shop. The idea behind Loser is to produce chilled and quirky pieces which you can wear at the beach or skate park but which you can also adapt to wear with the dressier items in your wardrobe,” Aille said.
The coffee van at present is seen as a seasonal job but they would like to continue the clothing element of the business after they finish up for the summer.
“Our merchandise is a big element of our business, which we sell both at the van itself and online.”
She added: “A super talented tattoo artist and friend from Cornwall, Max Wyld, designed the skate and surf aesthetic graphics for our brand and they have been a massive hit so far.
“Of course, we wouldn’t have been able to have done anything without the help of our parents support and wisdom and for all of Vincent’s hard work with Moody (the van),” Ciara said.
You can find Ciara and Aille on Kinnegar beach every day except Tuesdays, chilling and chatting with customers.
You can find them on Google maps as well as Instagram @loser.coffeeco and Facebook.