Temidola Ikomi, a 2017 graduate of D’Amore-McKim School of Business, really missed the Northeast community, so she joined Women Who Empower.
Ikomi wanted to build new connections with like-minded women who wanted to help each other grow and could have their own businesses, she says, because she co-founded an African-inspired fashion brand in Nigeria, her home country.
“The people I’ve met so far on this journey have been amazing,” says Ikomi.
This year, Ikomi was honored with a 2022 Innovator Award, presented by Women Who Empower, in the Young Undergraduate Alumni category along with a cash prize of $22,000. She also participated in the competition last year, but did not win.
“It shows that being an entrepreneur doesn’t mean you’ll give up when you don’t get what you want. Just keep pushing and pushing,” says Ikomi.
Temidola Ikomi
Along with her mother and two sisters, she owns a Nigerian fashion brand called Irawo Studio. Irawo means “stars” in Yoruba, one of the three main languages spoken in the country.
They always knew they wanted to do something in the fashion world, says Ikomi.
“Fashion has been a great way for me to express how I feel, my identity without necessarily saying anything,” she says. “We all love fashion. We all also want to embrace our Yoruba culture, [and] that’s something we can do with a modern twist.”
Ikomi was born in Kano, in the northern part of Nigeria, and grew up between Lagos, Nairobi, Kenya and South Africa due to his father’s travels in corporate banking. She attended various international schools and became familiar with meeting people from different cultures.
In 2012, she enrolled in a college in Virginia, but felt it wasn’t diverse enough for her. She decided to transfer and chose Northeastern because of its diversity and its cooperative program.
“I think sometimes I grow better through challenges, and I felt like the co-op program would really allow me to see what it would be like to be a full-time employee before I graduate,” he says.
While at Northeastern, she was an advisor and president of the Northeast African Student Organization. She graduated from the D’Amore-McKim School of Business in 2017 with a bachelor’s degree in marketing and business administration.
His first job was in corporate communication. In 2018, Ikomi moved from Boston to Brooklyn, New York, where she currently resides.
When both Temidola Ikomi and her sister Ama Ikomi graduated from university in 2017, the women in their family decided it was time to start a fashion business in Nigeria.
Ama Ikomi went to New York University’s Stern School of Business and took over the accounting and finances of her new company. Temidola Ikomi focused on marketing and advertising. Her younger sister, Anire Ikomi, a Parsons School of Design graduate, helps with the brand’s public image.
The day-to-day operation of the business is overseen by her mother, Abby Ikomi, who is Irawo’s creative director and lives in Lagos full-time.
Ikomi says that she gets her entrepreneurial nature from her mother. In all the countries where they lived, her mother had a business: hairdressing, furniture, jewelry.
“I think I’m like that too. When I’m passionate about something, I give it my all and want to make sure it succeeds,” Ikomi says.
Irawo Studio designs from the spring-summer 2022 collection. Photos courtesy of Temidola Ikomi
Working with his family was a bit tricky the first year, he says, because they needed to understand the dynamic between them.
“Because it’s about family, you can be very direct and honest. And sometimes that’s what you need in business,” she says.
They try to keep their focus on what is best for the business. Everyone participates in the creative development process, collectively brainstorming about a brand message or the next lookbook, says Ikomi.
At the same time, Ikomi says, they are a Nigerian family first, and their mother will always have their unconditional respect. The business comes after that.
In the first year of operation, they decided to take part in one of the biggest fashion shows in Lagos called Arise to make a big entrance in a fairly saturated market, says Ikomi. Irawo Studio also participated in the Glitz Fashion Week in Ghana.
“We did all these fashion shows to help us embark [on this journey]Ikomi says.
She describes Irawo clothing as African-inspired women’s clothing that is modern and stylish, as well as very comfortable and professional. She says that Irawo garments are for pioneers who pursue their dreams in their own way. They can be mothers, students or working professional women.
“We really want to bring out your inner star,” says Ikomi. “We always say that our pieces are investment pieces, which means regardless of the trend, it’s something you can wear for many, many years.”
They also do custom pieces for major birthdays, weddings, or wedding receptions.
The company handles all parts of the production process in-house, from fabric conceptualization and garment design to execution and shipping to customers. A team of in-house artisans designs all fabric patterns, allowing Irawo Studio to fully control its supply chain, says Ikomi.
Within five years, the company was firmly established in West African markets, says Ikomi, with increased sales in Nigeria and Ghana. They have also seen growth in the UK and US, primarily in New York City and Atlanta, Ikomi says. They ship worldwide too.
His goal now is to expand further into the US market in an authentic way, increase sales and reach more retailers.
“We have used influencers to help us enter the US market,” Ikomi says. “We also do a lot of paid advertising.”
This experience launching and running Irawo Studio taught Ikomi that an entrepreneur needs to have a complete 360-degree view of their business.
“You really need to be fully equipped to know your business inside and out,” she says.
That is why he returned to Lagos in 2019 for a year and a half to better understand the operations of the business and its expenses.
Ikomi still continues to work in marketing and communications outside of Irawo Studio.
“I believe in being very well rounded and using what I’m learning in my job for the business,” she says. “It’s not necessarily about choosing one, but about making time for what’s important to you and prioritizing your time.”
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Source: news.northeastern.edu