Today we’d like to introduce you to Tayo Ishola.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, the pulse of a busy city and the lives around me inspired in me the zeal and passion to lead and win in life, I started competing in beauty pageants at age 15 and was scouted by a modeling agency based in South Africa after which I relocated to Johannesburg to model full time.
Along the journey, several challenges and encounters allowed me to embrace self-metamorphosis that birthed an intense entrepreneurial spirit and the passion to merge my creative gifts with social causes. I developed a deeper interest for the swimwear industry when I moved to Miami in 2010 and began modeling swimsuit fashion, and I have since used the industry as a mission field to channel a purpose that is much greater than me.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It hasn’t been a smooth road, but I’ve been programmed to embrace challenges and use them as pillars / stepping stones. The biggest challenge would be relationships because that’s what matters most to me on this journey. Having to let go of special relationships is unapologetically my biggest challenge. Whether it be seamstresses, interns, employees, everyone that comes on the journey is really loved and creates an imprint on my heart, so allowing life’s process of letting some relationships go is usually the toughest.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Eido Swimwear | Wonder Woman Initiative – what should we know?
In 2015, I founded the Swimwear and Resort Wear Brand Eido Swimwear. It has always been important for me to bring to life my vision of women aggrandizement beyond borders through my work. To make women’s voices apparent, that’s what we stand for, and we do this using fashion as a vehicle because it unites us all. We create Hand-stiched resort wear pieces and hand-made swimsuits that are unique and allow women stand out beautifully. At every phase, we are looking to positively impact women, hence, we work with a team of underprivileged seamstresses out of Florida as well as out of Nigeria for select pieces and we train women who are new to working with resort wear and swim.
‘Eido’ is an ancient Greek word that means to be aware, discerning or gain insight to something. Eido swimwear is constructed for the woman who is intrinsically aware of who she is. Since the brand’s inception, it has been. In a nutshell, our mission is not only to empower the woman, the mission is to stir up and enliven the power within the woman, to reinforce it, and to make it apparent. In 2018, we launched the Wonder Woman Initiative; A series of ongoing projects and live events curated to uplift women within the communities around us and in the world at large. Through this initiative, the brand spotlights female survivors, women in business breaking new grounds, and women who are less privileged and need help becoming self-sufficient providers for themselves and their families. With over 20 community projects already completed, we are healing our communities one event at a time, with the help of strong female voices that stand with us as emblems of hope and courage.
Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
Deserving of credit, first of all, would be the women who have opened my eyes by being angels to be at difficult times. One of whom helped me when I was stranded at an airport in Johannesburg, I don’t remember her name or face, but she changed my life in that instant, and that encounter contributed in giving birth to the work I do today. Needless to say that God has not stopped being my biggest boss and friend in helping connect the dots even when I couldn’t see the light, and being such an extraordinary strategist for me.
Also, every photographer, videographer, model, venue, sponsor, partner, friend, and all of the women and men that help us keep the fire burning. Without them, there’s no us.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eidoswimwear.com
- Phone: 15618550949
- Email: contact.eidoswimwear@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eidoswimwear/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/eidoswimwear/
Image Credit:
Reg Stringfellow, Heidi Bent, James Hercule, Tameyourstyle, Ian Ramdial, Wellington Guzman
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