Welcome to the Monkiverse - Telegraph Swedish fashion brand Monki introduces its kitsch universe to the UK with a new store on Carnaby Street. If you haven't been to Monki's new shop yet, go. It's bonkers: phallic ornaments on railings, shirts suspended on merry-go-rounds, tasselly silver foil lanterns, mirrored cellings, and those freaky Monki dolls... These colourful blobs with body parts each have their own personalities (take Moop: he's apparently "good at falling asleep anywhere, at anytime," but has "horrible nightmares") and line shelves as mascots. Were they tripping out on a bong when they came up with the idea? Catherina Frankander, the brand's head of interior concepts, chortles and explains how they're "plump creatures that fell from the sky that are evil and deceptive, but also cute and fantastic." Rightttt. Welcome to the Monkiverse. After a well-received concession in Selfridges last year, the Swedish brand, owned by H&M, opened its first UK store on Carnaby Street last month. It has 53 stores in eight markets, including Asia, and all feature dazzling décor - a key part of the Monki "experience." London's is underwater-based - "The Sea of Scallops." "Fashion retailing was homogenous: take away the signs, and more or less everybody looked the same," says Henrik Aaen Kastberg, the brand's CEO. There was a gap in the market for something new. The fairytale of Monki started then, back in 2005. The fun vibe of the stores is reflected in the clothes, which combine the simplicity of Scandinavian fashion with the more expressive street style of Tokyo and Hong Kong. You can see the former in the cuts - sharp blazers, oversized shirt-dresses and baggy tees - and the Asian influence in the neons, prints and the Manga-ish Monki dolls. "We like girls to express themselves," says Aaen Kastberg. We think of the store as a walk-in closet, where people can mix and match styles. He says that the clothes "aren't about age, but style," when asked how old the Monki customer is, but its kitsch-cuteness probably appeals more to the teen contingent. As will its prices: with shirts around £25 and skirts around £15, girls can afford to play dress-up at Monki without breaking the bank. Buzz-about-them singers Lana Del Rey and Rita Ora have both worn the brand, while so-hip-it-hurts songstress-cum-DJ Yasmin will play a set at the store's celebratory knees-up tonight. They will further add to its appeal. Those freaky Monki teddies, however... monki.com Monki's store on Carnaby Street