Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian top beauty entrepreneur. She is the founder and CEO of the prestigious make-up brand, House of Tara International. Tara Fela-Durotoye is one of the pioneers of bridal makeup and has risen to a respected height in the makeup industry. She is a role model to most makeup artists and mentors, young business owners, across Africa through many platforms.
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Tara Fela-Durotoye Background
Tara Fela-Durotoye was born on the 6th of March, 1977 to John Ejegi Sagay and Felicia Omaghomi. Her father, John Ejegi Sagay was a commissioner at the Federal Civil Service in Nigeria and a polygamist. Tara was raised by her step mom, Modupe Agnes Sagay because her mom separated from her dad when she was eight months old. Her step mom turned out to be her inspiration for venturing into the Make-Up business because she always looked elegant with her make-up made.
Tara Fela-Durotoye attended Command Children School, Victoria Island, and proceeded to Nigeria Navy Secondary School, Ojo for her School Leaving Certificate. She is a lawyer by education and an alumna of Lagos Business School.
Tara Fela-Durotoye married her sweetheart, Adetokunbo Olufela Durotoye on the 12th of May, 2001 and the two love birds are blessed with three amazing boys; Mobolurin, Deilade, and Morolaoluwa. Fela-Durotoye. Her husband is a business strategist, motivational speaker, and recently a presidential aspirant.
Only a few women have been able to hold both the home and business front together and Tara is one of them. From what we can see, she has a good grip on both the home and business front.
Tara Fela-Durotoye Entrepreneurial Journey
House of Tara International is a company that is spread across three main streams – The Make-up Studio, The Make-up Academy and the Tara product line which comprises of product lines and make up kits. They also specialise in the distribution, retail and channel management of cosmetics.
Her Inspiration
She got the inspiration to be an entrepreneur by a speech she heard in secondary school by someone in advertising. The speaker was very creative in his speech delivery about entrepreneurship that he caught Tara’s attention and bore a seed that will germinate to bear fruitful fruits. Although that seed had already been planted but her real motivation for choosing the make-up industry was stirred by her step mother.
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Tara Fela-Durotoye had this to say about her step mother “My stepmom was a fantastic woman, very fashionable, so when you looked at her dressing table she had make-up products, she would paint her face in the morning, she never missed her hairdressing appointment, her nail polish was always perfect. I grew up seeing her adorn herself and I liked looking at her through all that process. I didn’t know that a seed was being sown in my heart.”
The Courage To Launch Out
Tara Fela-Durotoye started House of Tara International in 1998 at the age of 20 as an undergraduate in Lagos State University. Like I mentioned, Tara Fela-Durotoye is a lawyer by education and a makeup artist by vocation who later trained at Charles Fox. Tara came to limelight when she was featured in the Ovation Magazine as the make-up artist for Jumobi Adegbesan’s wedding to Richard Mofe-Damijo. The society wedding brought her previous 3 years of entrepreneurship to spotlight.
Tara Fela-Durotoye Achievement In The Beauty Industry
The beauty entrepreneur introduced the first bridal directory in 1999 and also set up international standard makeup studios. Tara Fela-Durotoye dedicated her time to building House of Tara to an internationally respected African brand with 26 make up studios and more than 8,000 beauty representatives across the country. Her company has grown beyond Nigeria and has branches in Senegal, Benin and Ghana.
House of Tara Academy has graduated over 1500 students who are employers of labour, beauty bloggers and a good number has gone ahead to work for international cosmetic brands.
Creations of Tara Fela-Durotoye
House of Tara International
Tara Orekelewa Beauty Range
Inspired Perfume
HIP Beauty range
Boards Where Tara Fela-Durotoye Seats
She sits on the advisory board of Awesome Treasures Foundation and Bridge International Academies, world’s largest education innovation company. Tara is also a member of African Leadership Network (ALN).
Tara Fela- Durotoye’s Philanthropic Gestures
In her desire to see women succeed, she started some initiatives; Tara Fela- Durotoye (TFD) Series, TFD Mentoring Programmes and TFD Bride Grooming Academy. These initiatives are to empower, mentor and support women.
In partnership with First City Monument Bank, she launched a new economic empowerment initiative ‘Beauty Business on the Go’ which is aimed at empowering women to become entrepreneurs.
Awards And Recognition of Tara Fela-Durotoye
Award for Excellence in the Beauty Sector by City People in 2006
Pioneer Award for Beauty by Fashion and Style Award in 2006
Young Person of the Year by The Future Awards in 2007
Africa SMME Award and Entrepreneur Award held in South Africa in 2007
Wedding Planner Honorary Award for Mentoring in 2008
Creative Business Award of the Year, Success Digest in 2008
Best Innovative Idea by Nigerian Event Awards in 2011
Forbes List: 20 Young Power Women in Africa in 2013
Nominated as Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2013
YNaija Power List: 10 most powerful Under-40s in Business in Nigeria in 2014
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