Meet the woman that is building her own rhythm in fashion infused by doses of culture, history and authencity. Oyintarebi Isaac popularly known, as Tare is the founder and creative director of the clothing brand Twin by Tare Isaac.
“Twin is a bespoke women’s brand that is strongly inspired by nature and the world around us seeking to strike a balance between ethnicity & westernization. Featuring bold colors, classic silhouettes and cheeky cutouts. Tare embodies the very essence of slow fashion, producing pieces on a made to order basis. Her introductory collection called the IN-BETWEEEN uses a mixture of the woven African “Fula cap” deconstructed to make belts and trimmings paired with plain western fabrics to create high-value couture pieces.
She explained to us that her brand “Twin” is a mash-up of cultures in an outfit. Saying that “many times as Africans we tend to leave so much of our history and culture behind in our pursuit for a better life and greener pastures, my brand seeks to remind all of us that there is always a place for culture. It pushes the conversation of inclusivity in art form”.
Born and raised in Nigeria, she majored in International Business for her undergraduate degree at the Kwame Nkrumah University of science and technology in Kumasi Ghana, after graduating she decided to follow her passion by taking a 6 months course on fashion design with the ever popular Nigerian designer Style temple, soon after she started her brand “black culture” the brand was growing well she said but she realized that she wanted more. In 2018 Tare closed down her business to move to the United Kingdom to pursue a postgraduate degree with hopes of picking the business up gain afterwards. When asked why she made the move?; she said I wanted more, I didn’t want to be stuck doing the same thing in a country that didn’t support me, I want to be able to share my gift with the world, I know its going to be hard because I’m in a new country where I don’t know anyone and on one know me but I think that’s where the real work begins”.
After graduating with a postgraduate degree from Liverpool John Moore University, Tare decided to pitch her business idea to the university. She said; “I was beyond nervous while I was pitching to them because I knew how badly I wanted the endorsement, luckily for me they loved my idea and endorsed me as an entrepreneur with a viable business. They also offered me a startup grant of £2000 to get me started”.
Since her introductory collection Tare has released two other collections, her summer collection called “Summer Romance” inspired by nature and colorful possibilities the selection of outfits takes you through a journey of celebrations and happy moments featuring bright colors and strong details. She said; it was right after lockdown, I wanted to celebrate being alive and being outside seeing all the lovely colors of the trees and flowers,
being able to appreciate these things with your friends and loved ones. So decided to make all the pieces overwhelmingly colorful and flamboyant to show that we are here, we are bold and we are stronger than ever”.
Her latest autumn/winter collection showcased at the Cheshire Fashion week 2021 still in the celebratory mood features a selection of outfits that her inspired by the festivities of Christmas and the fallen leaves of autumn she presents a diverse collection of designs perfect for every given occasion. One of the dresses that stand out in the collection is the “Funebi feathers embellished dressed” it takes you back to her first collection, the Funebi dress is cut of a beautiful deep blue colored sequins beaded lace, embellished with hand sewn feathers and sea shells cowries. When asked what inspired the Funebi dress? She said; “it is no secret that Twin by tare Isaac seeks to strike a balance between ethnicity and westernization. This dress is a classic representation of that exuding old Hollywood glam with a touch of ancient African currency, embellished with sea shells cowries which is known as old money for many of us from African decent. It is also still one of the items list on the bride price list in some parts of Nigeria. Over the years due to technological advancements and globalization the seashell cowries have been processed into different forms. It now offers this Electroplated version which was used for this dress in the color blue.
How do you want the people who wear Twin by Tare Isaac to feel about themselves?
“I want them to feel like they are a part of something bigger than themselves, I want them to feel proud because they are literally wearing history on their bodies, I want them to feel the love that was used to create each of the outfits overall, I want them to feel confident that they are a part of a movement that pushes the conversation of culture and tradition. Every time I get an order for any of my collections I’m always happy because I get to share my gift and message with another person and that is what keeps my brand going”.
You are committed to a slow fashion, sustainable and ethical business model. What steps do you take to ensure your supply chains and production process adheres to that philosophy?
When designing a dress, I always ask myself, in how times can someone wear this? Which is the best durable material for this product and what is the best way to create it and still be a responsible brand? I spend a lot of time researching suppliers who are committed to the same ethical philosophy as me and constantly try to find new techniques and ways to become more responsible, including but not limited to high quality textiles, small quantities orders, environmental footprints, chemical free dyes, waste policy and ethical working environments. All our dresses can be passed down from one generation to the next because of the quality of time and effort that is put to into the production process.
What are your hopes and ambitions for the brand as we head towards the end of 2021 and into 2022?
I think the pandemic reminded us that planning our future is very hard, although you cannot stop dreaming. My hope is to build a healthy brand while keeping its unique identity. By embracing new technologies and adapting to consumer lifestyle changes, my goal is to create a “buy less, choose well, make it last” reputation around the brand. Tare is creating a fashion brand that expresses not only her desire but also the desires of every woman to redevelop, blossom and reconnect to their authentic self. A bespoke brand that portrays the collective beauty of art when cultures align.
You can connect with the brand at TwinbyTareIsaac.com and on Instagram @twin_official_.
