Inspirational Woman: IB Oyerinde | Founder, Lola Tara

Lola Tara was founded by IB Oyerinde, a fashion model living in the US and Europe, with Nigerian roots.

IB encourages the Lola Tara customer to ‘dress for adventure’. The classic designs are made to be enjoyed by women from all over the world.  The brand idea centres around the insight that choosing to wear a jumpsuit is a bold and liberating choice. The versatility of the jumpsuits allows it to be worn as workwear, casual wear and occasion wear, making it a fantastic investment piece.

Tell us a bit about yourself, background and your current role

I am currently founder and director at Lola Tara. I started sewing and designing from a young age after being inspired by my mother’s pattern books. I would dream up all of the possibilities and eventually I started making clothes for my barbies. Creativity lights up my spirit and being able to share it with the world has been a dream come true.

Did you ever sit down and plan your career?

I always wanted to be a fashion designer, but it seemed like such unreachable dream. Launching LOLA TARA has been such a surreal experience. I have always admired people who could take pieces of cloth and create something beautiful. After studying marketing and business, I decided I wanted to not only create something beautiful but also functional and wearable.

Where do you take inspiration from?

Travel is for sure, the number one inspiration. I’ve been lucky to have travelled a lot in my life and I believe travel is the only education one really needs. I take inspiration from all cultures, which is why the styles have been named after cities all over the world. For example, the Vienna jumpsuit is inspired the structure and elegance of the city.

LOLA TARA is a combination of all my loves; travel, fashion and business. It’s also an extension of everything I learned and all the beautiful clothing I came across in my time as a model. It’s about empowering women. I want every woman who wears it to feel beautiful and invincible. You can find a piece of me in each of these styles.

Have you faced any challenges along the way?

When I started Lola Tara, I didn’t have any formal design education. I studied business and marketing at New York University, as I felt it was a practical degree but my love was always fashion. When I eventually embarked on my journey, I was hit with many obstacles that I wasn’t prepared to tackle. But experience is always the best teacher. I wouldn’t have changed any part of my story in getting here.

What has been your biggest achievement to date?

Launching the LOLA TARA in multiple continents in 1 year. We joined Wolf and Badger, a showroom in Paris, gained a retailer in New York and we hosted events and did a media push in the UK.

What one thing do you believe has been a major factor in you achieving success?

Having experienced the fashion industry from different angles as well as having a business and marketing education has given me a multi dimensional view that keeps me grounded. It has helped me to have a balance between and creativity and market demand. Persistence pays off. It takes so much work and commitment to get the brand out there – you need to constantly be doing activities such as events, social media, journalist outreach and establishing contact with fashion buyers. Patience is also a huge factor. If you go in thinking you’ll be an overnight success then you will surely be disappointed and frustrated.

The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdowns have meant many of us are stuck in a style rut – how can we get our passion for fashion back and ditch the loungewear?

The first thing is you need somewhere to go and now that venues and borders have reopened, there are many more opportunities to dress up than before. When you have an outfit that inspires you then you will find the place to wear it. Lola Tara jumpsuits are meant to be versatile as well as comfortable, can be worn with heels or flats, day or night, work or event.

Do you have any advice or tips for any budding entrepreneurs?

In a world where there are so many brands and so many messages, have a vision and have a focus. You can always expand later but when you’re starting off, be good at one thing rather than okay at many things.

If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self what would it be?

Follow your dreams and forget what anyone has to say about it. Learn patience and trust the process.

If you could change one thing to accelerate the pace of change for Diversity & Inclusion, what would it be?

The best way is to do your best and support one another. If we include each other and the world sees what we are capable of then they will also want to be involved.

What is your next challenge and what are you hoping to achieve in the future?

Our main goal at the moment is to gain more distribution channels. We are currently working with Wolf and Badger and we’d love to get similar platforms selling around the World. I want to have a presence in all the big hubs in every country. I want people to think of jumpsuits and think Lola Tara.