Kimberly Tino Mushayabasa bursts into contagious laughter as she describes her story to date as like a “gentle snowball picking up speed slowly, slowly” before reaching an “uncontrollable level” in the second half of last year when everyone wanted a piece of her Kerrygold sparkle.
Even friends of her kids at school asked, “‘Hey, didn’t your Mom make the Kerrygold butter bag?’ And I’m like, you guys are five. How do you know about this?”
It’s testament to the power of a viral moment, and how a small number of Irish brands are more than food staples – they are part of our heritage and identity, at home and abroad.
The momentum has only gathered pace in 2026. Balancing optometry studies with a burgeoning luxury handbag business and family life, the Meath creative (28) admits it can be “tough to balance”, joking that her weekends are now “work weekends”.
She is celebrating her most exciting collaboration to date at the recent Grammy Awards, when Kimberly joined forces with Johnnie Walker to make a custom bag for singer Sabrina Carpenter inspired by one of her signature cocktails. The Please, Please, Please singer is a brand ambassador for the premium whiskey.
“We created this really cool high ball cocktail bag encrusted with crystals to emulate the actual cocktail which is her favourite. There are really cute cherry charms on the top. It was used at the pre-launch Johnnie Walker party and across the weekend.
“It’s a huge project and a huge milestone for me. I absolutely love Sabrina Carpenter. She is the queen of sparkles and she has a sparkly bodice that she changes for every location when she’s on tour, and even her boots are crystal encrusted, so if there is anyone this brand is made for – it’s someone like her,” she says.
Seeing the bag beside the cocktails at the Grammys in LA hasn’t quite sunk in yet for Kimberly. “I’m in Kells and I’m doing something cross border. It’s a really surreal experience and I’m so thankful to the Johnnie Walker team for trusting my creative capabilities,” she enthuses.
Closer to home, she made headlines recently for a collaboration with Domino’s Pizza for a specially commissioned garlic dip bag, shown off in style by influencer Sophie La Touche at the recent Dublin Racing Festival. Kimberly also had a limited edition range of bags in Avoca stores for Christmas.
Kimberly Tino with her bespoke bag. \ Claire Nash
It’s hard to fathom that Kimberly is entirely self-taught, and only made her first handbag less than three years ago simply because she couldn’t find one to match an outfit. “I was going out to a ladies dinner and I had a gorgeous pair of crystal-encrusted heels and I was wearing a red dress. I didn’t have a bag that matched perfectly. That’s why I decided to make the ‘Hello, My Name is Kimberly’ bag. That was the starting point,” she recalls.
Irish flavour
Stopped everywhere she went, the intricacies of the crystal-encrusted bag proved a real conversation starter. She later graduated to “crazier designs” making novelty bags with an Irish flavour like the Tayto bag, complete with the folds of the crisp packet, a Martini cocktail, a harp and the popular Guinness can bag.
Early on, Kimberly opted to see if there was business in what she was doing and Maya Grisham was born. The first part of her enterprise namechecks her young daughter, now five, and the second is an author’s name she saw in a library. She also has a young son, AJ, who is seven.
Kimberly with a selection of her handcrafted creations, photographed on location at the Bellinter House Hotel, Co Meath. \ Claire Nash
While it was a slow burner and tough to start, she persevered.
“I think the most I was getting was two or three bags in the year. I’d be so excited when I’d get the orders. Even when I started the Tayto bag I thought that would be the big break but it wasn’t,” she laughs.
That all changed in August last year when almost as a joke she posted a design pic of what a Kerrygold bag would look like, asking her followers should she try out a prototype. With an overwhelming yes ringing in her ears, Kimberly meticulously applied over 7,000 Swarovski crystals – by hand – before presenting the finished product to the world. It quickly went viral.
But why was she was so tempted by butter as inspiration? Born in Zimbabwe, she came to Ireland when she was three, and Kimberly says it all stems from her childhood initially in Phibsborough, and then Clonee.
“I have good memories of it [Kerrygold]. Every weekend when I was growing up we’d have the full breakfast with Brennan’s bread, Kerrygold, Barry’s Tea and Denny Sausages so they are just staples [to me]. So, I was like yeah, let me just go for that, something that is out of the ordinary.”
Now living in Kells, she couldn’t believe it when singer CMAT, who was raised in Dunboyne, commented online how much she loved the bag. This in turn led to a commission from Kerrygold for a personalised version of the bag for the singer, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson.
Kimberly Tino with a selection of her Irish product themed bags .\ Claire Nash
“There was so much going on between people asking could they buy the bag, doing my repeat [college] exams, and the kids were back to school. It was just manic and then I got an invite to Showcase at the Irish Embassy at Paris Fashion Week,” Kimberly recalls, which was a thrill for a fashion fan.
“So, all of that was going on at once, I was going from a period of quietness in the business to everyone wants the bags. Everyone wants a piece of this Kerrygold sparkle, and then they were like, wow there are other bags she makes too,” she says, describing the period as “insane”.
I have good memories of it [Kerrygold]. Every weekend when I was growing up we’d have the full breakfast with Brennan’s bread, Kerrygold, Barry’s Tea and Denny Sausages so they are just staples [to me]. So, I was like yeah, let me just go for that, something that is out of the ordinary
With no idea if CMAT would even use her personalised bag, she said it was “amazing” to see it on the red carpet at the Mercury Prize in London in November and such a boost for the brand.
“I guess it’s a testament to just not giving up. I always told myself if this business doesn’t work out, I’m not going to bring myself down, I’m not going to torment myself and I’m going to be proud that at least I tried.”
It’s a similar story when Irish Country Living asks Kimberly what she learned about herself through the enterprise. She comes back with two words: persistence and problem solving, both of which she developed in optometry and brought to a new level in business.
She also felt a sense of responsibility that every customer is happy they are getting an “heirloom” piece made with the best crystals and in as sustainable way as possible.
Kimberly Tino with her bejewelled harp bag photographed on location at the Bellinter House Hotel, Co Meath.
\ Claire Nash
Global ambition
Asked her ultimate customer or collaborator, Kimberly pauses thoughtfully for a moment before saying, “If I was to say in the whole entire word, probably Paris Hilton because she likes all things glam and sparkly. But, to be honest, any time someone purchases a bag I’m really happy because I’m like wow, they
trusted me to deliver something beautiful.”
Does she think the bags will ever be her full-time job? “It already is to a degree because I’m paying someone to do all of that admin that I should be doing. When I get home, I’m working on bags.”
At the same time, she calls optometry her “true love” having taken a circuitous route back to it as a mature student after missing out by a few points in Leaving Cert year. After a PLC, she was lucky enough to get an internship in Google where she learned all about marketing and building websites, skills she has put to good use since.
On the future post-graduation, the Meath designer is not sure how it will work yet. She may take a few months off or work part-time until she finds her feet and discovers a balance.
One thing is clear though, while there are not enough hours in the day at the minute, Maya Grisham is going nowhere. Kimberly wants it to be a fun brand “taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary” and on a global scale putting Irish accessories on the map.
See mayagrisham.com.
Kimberly Tino Mushayabasa bursts into contagious laughter as she describes her story to date as like a “gentle snowball picking up speed slowly, slowly” before reaching an “uncontrollable level” in the second half of last year when everyone wanted a piece of her Kerrygold sparkle.
Even friends of her kids at school asked, “‘Hey, didn’t your Mom make the Kerrygold butter bag?’ And I’m like, you guys are five. How do you know about this?”
It’s testament to the power of a viral moment, and how a small number of Irish brands are more than food staples – they are part of our heritage and identity, at home and abroad.
The momentum has only gathered pace in 2026. Balancing optometry studies with a burgeoning luxury handbag business and family life, the Meath creative (28) admits it can be “tough to balance”, joking that her weekends are now “work weekends”.
She is celebrating her most exciting collaboration to date at the recent Grammy Awards, when Kimberly joined forces with Johnnie Walker to make a custom bag for singer Sabrina Carpenter inspired by one of her signature cocktails. The Please, Please, Please singer is a brand ambassador for the premium whiskey.
“We created this really cool high ball cocktail bag encrusted with crystals to emulate the actual cocktail which is her favourite. There are really cute cherry charms on the top. It was used at the pre-launch Johnnie Walker party and across the weekend.
“It’s a huge project and a huge milestone for me. I absolutely love Sabrina Carpenter. She is the queen of sparkles and she has a sparkly bodice that she changes for every location when she’s on tour, and even her boots are crystal encrusted, so if there is anyone this brand is made for – it’s someone like her,” she says.
Seeing the bag beside the cocktails at the Grammys in LA hasn’t quite sunk in yet for Kimberly. “I’m in Kells and I’m doing something cross border. It’s a really surreal experience and I’m so thankful to the Johnnie Walker team for trusting my creative capabilities,” she enthuses.
Closer to home, she made headlines recently for a collaboration with Domino’s Pizza for a specially commissioned garlic dip bag, shown off in style by influencer Sophie La Touche at the recent Dublin Racing Festival. Kimberly also had a limited edition range of bags in Avoca stores for Christmas.
Kimberly Tino with her bespoke bag. \ Claire Nash
It’s hard to fathom that Kimberly is entirely self-taught, and only made her first handbag less than three years ago simply because she couldn’t find one to match an outfit. “I was going out to a ladies dinner and I had a gorgeous pair of crystal-encrusted heels and I was wearing a red dress. I didn’t have a bag that matched perfectly. That’s why I decided to make the ‘Hello, My Name is Kimberly’ bag. That was the starting point,” she recalls.
Irish flavour
Stopped everywhere she went, the intricacies of the crystal-encrusted bag proved a real conversation starter. She later graduated to “crazier designs” making novelty bags with an Irish flavour like the Tayto bag, complete with the folds of the crisp packet, a Martini cocktail, a harp and the popular Guinness can bag.
Early on, Kimberly opted to see if there was business in what she was doing and Maya Grisham was born. The first part of her enterprise namechecks her young daughter, now five, and the second is an author’s name she saw in a library. She also has a young son, AJ, who is seven.
Kimberly with a selection of her handcrafted creations, photographed on location at the Bellinter House Hotel, Co Meath. \ Claire Nash
While it was a slow burner and tough to start, she persevered.
“I think the most I was getting was two or three bags in the year. I’d be so excited when I’d get the orders. Even when I started the Tayto bag I thought that would be the big break but it wasn’t,” she laughs.
That all changed in August last year when almost as a joke she posted a design pic of what a Kerrygold bag would look like, asking her followers should she try out a prototype. With an overwhelming yes ringing in her ears, Kimberly meticulously applied over 7,000 Swarovski crystals – by hand – before presenting the finished product to the world. It quickly went viral.
But why was she was so tempted by butter as inspiration? Born in Zimbabwe, she came to Ireland when she was three, and Kimberly says it all stems from her childhood initially in Phibsborough, and then Clonee.
“I have good memories of it [Kerrygold]. Every weekend when I was growing up we’d have the full breakfast with Brennan’s bread, Kerrygold, Barry’s Tea and Denny Sausages so they are just staples [to me]. So, I was like yeah, let me just go for that, something that is out of the ordinary.”
Now living in Kells, she couldn’t believe it when singer CMAT, who was raised in Dunboyne, commented online how much she loved the bag. This in turn led to a commission from Kerrygold for a personalised version of the bag for the singer, whose real name is Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson.
Kimberly Tino with a selection of her Irish product themed bags .\ Claire Nash
“There was so much going on between people asking could they buy the bag, doing my repeat [college] exams, and the kids were back to school. It was just manic and then I got an invite to Showcase at the Irish Embassy at Paris Fashion Week,” Kimberly recalls, which was a thrill for a fashion fan.
“So, all of that was going on at once, I was going from a period of quietness in the business to everyone wants the bags. Everyone wants a piece of this Kerrygold sparkle, and then they were like, wow there are other bags she makes too,” she says, describing the period as “insane”.
I have good memories of it [Kerrygold]. Every weekend when I was growing up we’d have the full breakfast with Brennan’s bread, Kerrygold, Barry’s Tea and Denny Sausages so they are just staples [to me]. So, I was like yeah, let me just go for that, something that is out of the ordinary
With no idea if CMAT would even use her personalised bag, she said it was “amazing” to see it on the red carpet at the Mercury Prize in London in November and such a boost for the brand.
“I guess it’s a testament to just not giving up. I always told myself if this business doesn’t work out, I’m not going to bring myself down, I’m not going to torment myself and I’m going to be proud that at least I tried.”
It’s a similar story when Irish Country Living asks Kimberly what she learned about herself through the enterprise. She comes back with two words: persistence and problem solving, both of which she developed in optometry and brought to a new level in business.
She also felt a sense of responsibility that every customer is happy they are getting an “heirloom” piece made with the best crystals and in as sustainable way as possible.
Kimberly Tino with her bejewelled harp bag photographed on location at the Bellinter House Hotel, Co Meath.
\ Claire Nash
Global ambition
Asked her ultimate customer or collaborator, Kimberly pauses thoughtfully for a moment before saying, “If I was to say in the whole entire word, probably Paris Hilton because she likes all things glam and sparkly. But, to be honest, any time someone purchases a bag I’m really happy because I’m like wow, they
trusted me to deliver something beautiful.”
Does she think the bags will ever be her full-time job? “It already is to a degree because I’m paying someone to do all of that admin that I should be doing. When I get home, I’m working on bags.”
At the same time, she calls optometry her “true love” having taken a circuitous route back to it as a mature student after missing out by a few points in Leaving Cert year. After a PLC, she was lucky enough to get an internship in Google where she learned all about marketing and building websites, skills she has put to good use since.
On the future post-graduation, the Meath designer is not sure how it will work yet. She may take a few months off or work part-time until she finds her feet and discovers a balance.
One thing is clear though, while there are not enough hours in the day at the minute, Maya Grisham is going nowhere. Kimberly wants it to be a fun brand “taking the ordinary and making it extraordinary” and on a global scale putting Irish accessories on the map.
See mayagrisham.com.
SHARING OPTIONS