Irene Agbontaen’s name has become synonymous with inclusivity in an industry that seldom factors in the needs of tall women. Discourse on body positivity within the fashion world often revolves around being “slim” or “curvy”, while the needs of various other body types are often overlooked. As the creator and founder of TTYA London, Agbontaen has introduced clothing that is influenced by her Nigerian heritage and ensures that tall women have access to statement pieces. TTYA, which stands for “Taller Than Your Average” was created out of frustration on Agbontaen’s part. As a 5’11 woman, she often had trouble finding clothes that fit properly. In response, the designer and cultural consultant pioneered an inclusive fashion brand that challenged the notion of what inclusion could look like in the fashion industry.
Agbontaen envisions a future where anybody can shop anywhere and have the clothes fit without their bodies made to feel as “other.” The brand is described as one “not based on trend or seasonal collections, TTYA offers tall women a range of staple timeless pieces with key wardrobe essentials, designed to last beyond the season and fit in with any woman’s existing wardrobe and style.” The brand has transcended the boundaries of what a fashion brand can be and it has created a space that gives back to young creatives in the process. Specifically through TTYA Talks, a platform which provides mentorship and skills training for women and younger generations to connect and inspire each other. AMAKA sat down with Agbontaen to discuss how her work has helped incite change in the fashion world and beyond.
In what ways is your work driven by your background and identity?
In terms of my background and my identity, I am West African. My parents are Nigerian and I am a British-born Nigerian. My mother came here with a want for a better life. For descendants of West Africans, success is equated with becoming a lawyer or a doctor or careers that are very academic. Taking an avenue of creativity was not something which was in my remit. However, when I launched TTYA at Selfridges in London, my mother arrived with the pastor and they prayed. She acknowledged that I was not wasting time for two and a half years—I was really doing something. It was that pivotal moment that bridged the gap for me because she had insight on what I’d been working on and for her to see my collection in Selfridges reinforced the power of creating and believing in your dreams. Not everybody has support from [their] families or the infrastructure to realise their dreams, so for me, it was an important moment.
TTYA has galvanised conversations of what accessibility looks like in the fashion industry. At present, TTYA is bigger than a clothing brand. We have created TTYA Talks, which is a mentoring programme that assists women of colour and creates a spotlight for them as pioneers in their industries. Unfortunately, within our community, a lot of us haven’t had generational wealth or the knowledge to understand the infrastructure of how this business is set up. So with TTYA Talks, I have a platform now to give the people who are front runners in the industry the opportunity to give feedback to the community so the next generation does not repeat the same mistakes that we have made.
Does where you’re from have any bearing on your career choice?
As a Nigerian, we know that when our parents are ready to go out, it is quite a lavish affair. Traditionally, families will create outfits out of the same cloth and their friends will do the same. Seeing how my mother matched her shoes to her handbag for a traditional outfit has influenced me to [explore] how I can match boisterous prints with Western styling. Working with Nike on a sweater for Black History Month and taking it back to Nigeria [was an example of this]. We worked with women who work in dyeing pits and it was a merger of [both cultures]. Ultimately, my heritage influences the way that I think about the brand and how we’ve reworked traditional designs, skills, patterns and tailoring into our modern designs. [It’s] central to how I think about the brand and even collaborations.
What has your profession taught you about yourself?
[It’s taught me about] my character and capacity to be resilient. I am not afraid to step out of the box. When I started TTYA, every major house told me that the idea was not going to work and that it was going against the norm. They challenged my non-conformity and believed tall women could find clothes easily. I knew that if I didn’t feel included, there were going to be girls who felt the same. Essentially, the question was how to open those doors and have those conversations while effecting change. This brand has given me a purpose and belief in my purpose.
How do you envision yourself creating change within your field and outside of it?
On a broader spectrum, collaboration and use of community is important. We recently completed a collaboration that extended shoe sizes to be inclusive of bigger sizes. Giving the next generation knowledge to come behind us and learn the skills as well is very important to me. Sometimes we aren’t really transparent and people see the winning highlights on social media without insight of the journey it takes to get to success. So people need to learn the business aspect of things such as invoicing and developing rates [for example]. It’s important to show the wins, but it is empowering for the next generation to also see the journey and what it takes to run a successful business.
What motivates you the most?
On a personal level, it’s seeing the change within the industry. It’s important to see Black creatives being paid what they deserve and not [receiving] less in comparison to their white counterparts. With the brand, I am happy to know that it has somewhat cracked the door open for other brands to come behind it. Sometimes it is not always on you to be the person to speak, implement and ensure that change is occurring. It is a domino effect and sometimes you are just one domino. It’s about owning your [part] and doing what you can without feeling that you are responsible for the whole world. It’s also important for me to stay doing the things that I love doing. Life is short and you must take time to do the things that you really enjoy, work with the people you love and collaborate within a network you like. For me, it is about legacy and not agreeing to everything.
How do you want to be remembered?
For me, it is important to be remembered for inciting change. This is a conversation that needs to continue. I must continuously ask myself, how do I incite change in an institution that is traditionally set up for the norms to remain undisturbed? How do we incite change within an industry that was not designed for us to win? Now there are so many brands that are doing amazingly because people have found their niche and are able to capitalise off that niche. They can now empower their communities. I am fortunate that I get to do this, and I get to have fun doing it.