Tara Fela-Durotoye is a Nigerian lawyer and beauty business entrepreneur. In 1999, she established Nigeria’s first bridal directory, world grade makeup studios, and the country’s first cosmetics school, making her a pioneer in the industry of bridal makeup. In addition to being the founder and CEO of House of Tara International, she created the Tara Orekelewa Beauty, Inspired Perfume, and H.I.P Beauty lines.
Early Life and Education
Tara Fela-Durotoye was born on March 6, 1977, at St. Nicholas Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, to John Ejegi Sagay, a commissioner in the Federal Civil Service of Nigeria, and Felicia Omaghomi. She had a polygamous upbringing because her parents divorced when she was eight months old, and she was raised by Modupe Agnes Sagay.
She attended the Command Children’s School on Victoria Island before transferring to the boarding school, Nigeria Navy Secondary School in Ojoo. In Form 5, she was named Sanitary and Welfare Prefect. Lagos State University is where she earned her law degree. She completed the Harvard Kennedy School’s Global Leadership and Public Policy in the Twenty-First Century program, the Lagos Business School Chief Executive Programme, INSEAD Abu Dhabi, Yale University, and the Stanford SEED Transformation Programme.
Career
After becoming a pioneer in the field of bridal makeup in 1999, Tara Fela-Durotoye, a Nigerian lawyer and cosmetics artist, developed Nigeria’s first bridal directory, an international-level beauty studio, and the nation’s first makeup school. Tara has dedicated herself to realizing her goal of building an African-owned beauty brand with international renown from the year her company began.
In addition to being the founder and CEO of House of Tara International, which she founded after graduating from university, the three primary divisions of House of Tara International are The Make-up Studio, The Make-up Academy, and the Tara product line, which consists of product lines and makeup kits. They also have extensive experience in cosmetics distribution, retail, and channel management. She also created the Tara Orekelewa Beauty, Inspired Perfume, and H.I.P Beauty lines. House of Tara had 10,000 salespeople spread across Africa, 270 products, 26 storefronts, and 14 beauty schools as of 2019.
Her company has spread outside Nigeria, with branches in Ghana, Senegal, and Benin. Over 1500 students have graduated from House of Tara Academy, and many of them have gone on to work for large global cosmetic firms, labor employers, and beauty bloggers.
Bridge International Academies and Awesome Treasures Foundation, the world’s largest education innovation firm, both have her on their advisory boards. Tara is also a member of the African Leadership Network (ALN).
For make-up artists and small business owners, she is a widely regarded guide. She is a real force and a game-changer in Nigeria’s cosmetics sector, inspiring the rest of Africa.
Personal Life
Fela Durotoye, the chief executive officer of Visible Impact and a business strategist and corporate activator, is married to Tara. Under the banner of the Alliance for a New Nigeria Political Party, he ran for president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria but lost to Muhammad Buhari. Mobolurin, Demilade, and Morolaoluwa are their three sons.
She noted that her motive for picking up the makeup business was her stepmother. “My stepmom was a great woman, extremely trendy, so when you looked at her dressing table she had make-up items, she painted her face in the morning, she never missed her hair appointment, and her nail polish was always immaculate,” Tara Fela-Durotoye said of her stepmother. She used to beautify herself in front of me as a child, and I enjoyed watching her do it. I was unaware that a seed had already been planted in my heart.
Tara Fela-Durotoye started the House of Tara International when she was 20 years old and a student at Lagos State University. Tara Fela-Durotoye, as previously said, studied law and now works as a cosmetics artist. She acquired her education at Charles Fox. Tara rose to prominence after being recognized in Ovation Magazine as the makeup artist for Jumobi Adegbesan’s wedding to Richard Mofe-Damijo. The society wedding highlighted her three years of self-employment.
Impact and Influence
In her drive to see women thrive, she developed the Tara Fela-Durotoye (TFD) Series, TFD Mentoring Programmes, and TFD Bride Grooming Academy. The goal of these programs is to mentor, help, and empower women.
In collaboration with First City Monument Bank (FCMB), she launched a new economic empowerment program called “Beauty Business on the Go,” with the goal of inspiring women to start their own businesses.
Awards and Nominations
Tara Fela-Durotoye received the South African Entrepreneur Award and the Africa SMME Award in 2007, and Forbes named her one of Africa’s 20 Young Power Women in 2013. Prof. Yemi Osibanjo bestowed her with the title of “Africa’s 50 Most Powerful Woman” in the 2020 issue of Forbes. Below is the list of recognitions she has received.
- 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
- The Africa SMME Award and Entrepreneur Award, 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 the Nigerian Event Awards in 2011
- Forbes List: 20 Young Power Women in Africa in 2013
- Nomination as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum in 2013.
- YNaija Power List: 10 most powerful Under-40s in Business in Nigeria in 2014
Net Worth
With a current estimated net worth of over $4 million, Tara Durotoye is one of the most well-known beauty entrepreneurs in Nigeria and Africa.
