In Conversation with ForbesBLK: The Vision Fueling TIER's Pioneering Collaboration

Forbes

Founder and CEO of TIER, Nigeria Ealey sat down with ForbesBLK Community Manager, Ayisha Mendez to discuss the inspiration behind the communities first limited-edition collaboration, a celebration of Black creatives.  00:00 Introduction 00:38 Starting A Business In College 03:30 Tier x ForbesBLK Collaboration 06:55 Showing What's Possible For Creators Of Color 10:12 Managing Creativity And Business 12:42 Impacting The Local Community 15:10 Creating A Lasting Impact  Subscribe to FORBES: https://www.youtube.com/user/Forbes?sub_confirmation=1  Fuel your success with Forbes. Gain unlimited access to premium journalism, including breaking news, groundbreaking in-depth reported stories, daily digests and more. Plus, members get a front-row seat at members-only events with leading thinkers and doers, access to premium video that can help you get ahead, an ad-light experience, early access to select products including NFT drops and more:  https://account.forbes.com/membership/?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=display&utm_campaign=growth_non-sub_paid_subscribe_ytdescript  Stay Connected Forbes newsletters: https://newsletters.editorial.forbes.com Forbes on Facebook: http://fb.com/forbes Forbes Video on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/forbes Forbes Video on Instagram: http://instagram.com/forbes More From Forbes:  http://forbes.com  Forbes covers the intersection of entrepreneurship, wealth, technology, business and lifestyle with a focus on people and success.

Transcript

00:00 (upbeat music)

00:02 - Hi everyone, I'm Aisha Mendez,

00:04 the Community Manager for Forbes BLK,

00:06 and I'm here with Nigeria Ely,

00:09 Co-Founder and Creative Director of Tear,

00:11 to discuss our community's inaugural collaboration

00:14 with Black creatives.

00:16 Nigeria, thank you so much for being here with me today.

00:19 - Thank you for having me.

00:20 - Of course, well, I'm really excited

00:22 to kick off our collaboration in this conversation.

00:25 Can you first, I wanna say,

00:27 congratulations on 10 years of Tear.

00:30 - Yes, yes, this year makes 10 years on December 28th.

00:34 So super excited for that.

00:36 - Amazing, and first, tell me,

00:38 what was it like launching a collaboration in college,

00:41 and what will you contribute to the collection's longevity?

00:44 - For me, fashion is something I've always wanted to do,

00:49 like my whole life.

00:50 Like I knew since I was a child,

00:52 fashion, production, animation, those were my things.

00:56 And in college, it's funny because this year makes 10 years

01:01 and I'm like, 10 years ago, I was 21.

01:05 I turned 31 in like a week or two.

01:10 And I'm like, I really didn't know nothing,

01:12 but I was just so passionate.

01:14 And fast forward to present day,

01:17 it's like, these are the things that make people great.

01:21 These are the things that,

01:22 you know, like the trials, the tribulations,

01:25 the errors, the lessons,

01:27 everything along this journey for me

01:30 has been just a stepping stool.

01:33 And bigger than that, more so like,

01:35 these are things that we learn over time.

01:40 And the fact that we're here now,

01:42 and we're able to say like, we're here at Forbes.

01:46 If you asked me back then,

01:51 I probably, knowing me, I probably would have said,

01:52 yeah, one day I'm gonna be here at Forbes.

01:54 I'm gonna be able to do this because that's just me.

01:56 - Amazing.

01:57 - But for it to actually happen and to see

01:59 how Tear has grown,

02:01 how the work we've done has impacted the community

02:05 and almost the world at large,

02:07 you know, it's definitely a beautiful thing to see.

02:09 - Yeah, and I think it's so amazing that you said that like,

02:11 you know, facing the challenges of starting off

02:14 as an early age, like entrepreneur didn't deter you.

02:17 I think that's something that resonates so much

02:19 in our audience where I feel like the fear of failure

02:22 is really what stops people from entering entrepreneurship.

02:26 - Oh yeah, definitely.

02:26 I think failure is definitely one of the things

02:29 that stops people from following their dreams, right?

02:33 Like, especially growing up,

02:34 we have so many people who tell us what we can be,

02:36 what we can't be, what we can do, what we can't do.

02:39 - Exactly.

02:40 - What is it like to be a certain race, things like that.

02:44 Like there's so much stipulations put against us

02:47 from a young age.

02:49 And I was just fortunate and blessed enough

02:51 to have a household and have a mom

02:53 that like made me feel confident all the time.

02:56 So even like failure never really scared me.

02:59 Like if I'm failing at something, at least I tried,

03:01 you know, and like one of my, like,

03:03 like one thing I always say, like anywhere I go,

03:06 whether I have a good day, bad day,

03:07 I do what I love every day.

03:08 And that's how I keep what I do going, you know,

03:12 because granted, I may not know everything

03:15 that comes along with it.

03:17 If it's something that I say I love,

03:18 I have to be able to deal with anything that comes with it.

03:22 - Absolutely.

03:23 Well, thank you so much for being an inspiration.

03:25 And it's really true.

03:26 Like if you don't see people that reflect the types

03:30 of careers or aspirations that you want,

03:32 sometimes it's really hard to visualize that.

03:34 So thank you so much for being that person,

03:37 that icon that people can really look up to.

03:39 And next I wanted to ask,

03:41 what would you say is the inspiration behind Forbes,

03:44 Be Okay and Tears upcoming collaboration?

03:48 - The inspiration in general is representation,

03:53 for me at least.

03:54 And I think that's how I leave everything.

03:57 The simplest reference I can relate it back to

04:01 is when we built a temporary store in LA, you know,

04:06 and at that time there were picks between

04:11 where our store would be, on which floor,

04:14 next to which stores.

04:16 And for me, I was like, in order for me to do this,

04:18 we have to be on the luxury floor.

04:20 We have to be seen,

04:21 tear has to be seen amongst the luxury brands,

04:25 whatever those brands are that was on that floor.

04:27 And fast forward, we ended up being placed next to Kenzo,

04:30 right along from the Apple store,

04:33 right next to Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Balenciaga,

04:36 and all these other stores.

04:37 But that was important for that,

04:40 because at that time, it's like,

04:45 we're not only a black owned brand, we're independent,

04:48 and we're self-funded.

04:50 And people need to see this.

04:52 People need to see what it looks like

04:54 and to be in certain spaces

04:57 and to know that we can be in this spaces.

04:59 So when I relate that back to the upcoming collaboration

05:03 with Forbes, you know, like it's super special

05:05 to partner with Forbes and Forbes be okay,

05:08 because this is a representation for the next generation

05:11 of designers to know like,

05:13 hey, like a Forbes partnership is possible, right?

05:17 And I think those are the things that matter to me, right?

05:21 Like I already knew from a young age

05:24 that one of my life purposes was impact

05:26 and whatever that looks like, right?

05:27 So if I can impact somebody to think a certain way

05:31 and impact them to think like,

05:32 hey, like I don't have to follow this way

05:35 that everybody has been telling me.

05:36 I can do all the wild things that I think about,

05:39 because delusion is only delusion until it comes true.

05:43 And now it's like, oh, that happened.

05:45 Oh, that's magic.

05:46 Like, no, it's just belief, dedication and hard work.

05:50 And I think this collaboration really represents that.

05:53 It represents dedication.

05:54 It represents representation,

05:56 knowing that we can and will be in any spaces that we will.

06:00 I mean, that we want to, you know?

06:03 So.

06:03 - And I just want to say that,

06:05 Nigeria, you are rocking the collection.

06:07 So for anyone who's tuning in,

06:08 you can take a look at the amazing sweatshirt

06:11 and sweatpants that he's wearing.

06:13 This is going to be something that is debuting soon.

06:16 - Coming soon, coming soon.

06:17 - So thank you so much for being the perfect model for this.

06:20 And I think it's perfect.

06:22 And the collaboration for me,

06:23 when we were going through that process

06:26 of looking through different businesses,

06:28 I saw that, you know,

06:29 T.E.A.R. was really a company that was striving

06:32 to create a space for entrepreneurs

06:34 and really the epitome of success.

06:36 And I loved how you mentioned

06:38 how you guys are self-funded

06:40 and you are like, you are really a strong team

06:43 that's able to make all of these incredible collaborations.

06:46 And that's something that-

06:47 - And it's hard.

06:48 - It's not easy.

06:48 - Not easy at all.

06:49 - And it comes with its challenges,

06:51 but every challenge is a learning lesson.

06:53 - Yes.

06:54 - And so I think one of the things that I love

06:56 about the Forbes bouquet community

06:58 is we're all about celebrating excellence

07:00 and success within people that look like us.

07:04 So how would you say this collaboration contributes

07:08 to the narrative and showcases the achievements

07:10 of entrepreneurs and creators of color?

07:13 - I think once again,

07:14 it just goes back to showing what's possible.

07:16 Like that's the biggest thing, you know,

07:18 if people can see somebody else's idea realized,

07:22 it can spark them to believe that

07:23 whatever they're thinking can be realized also, you know?

07:26 So for me, that representation is there.

07:29 Also, it's just a celebration of black excellence.

07:32 You know, like we are,

07:34 this is a one of a kind partnership

07:36 and we're one of few to like be able to work with Forbes

07:40 in this capacity, you know,

07:43 down to every step of the like process

07:45 from making this wetsuit to selecting the right logos

07:50 to, and like corporate,

07:51 they're putting the messages in the right place.

07:54 Like everything is super and like tension, you know?

07:56 And I think this collaboration celebrates that.

08:00 It celebrates intentionality.

08:02 It celebrates representation

08:03 and it just celebrates us just in general.

08:05 - Absolutely.

08:06 And one of the things I would love to call out

08:08 is I know when we were in that process of, you know,

08:10 collaborating and going through some of the ideas,

08:13 how the creation of like the globe within the logo

08:17 truly represents the fact that Forbes BLK

08:20 is a global community.

08:22 And having just like the smallest of symbols

08:24 really reflect what the community represents as a whole.

08:28 So I want to thank you and thank your team

08:30 for that creative direction and really thinking about,

08:32 you know, how can we have elements of both

08:35 tier and Forbes BLK alive and well within the collaboration.

08:39 - Yeah.

08:40 And I think even with like the globe, you know,

08:44 it's to represent more than just the black entrepreneurs

08:47 that are here and are like America.

08:49 Like there's so many talented black entrepreneurs

08:52 across the world.

08:53 Leaders across the world.

08:54 Like we have a showroom right now in Soho

08:58 and I'm speaking to other Dula designers

09:02 and I met a designer from South Africa

09:04 and we're just speaking on like

09:06 how fashion looks for him there

09:10 and his journey and travels to coming to the States

09:15 and what it's like, like selling and making there

09:18 to like what it's like navigating the US, you know.

09:22 And it just goes to show like, you know,

09:25 we have these leaders, these minds

09:27 and there's greatness everywhere, you know.

09:30 And we can't marginalize ourselves either, you know.

09:32 Like we have to walk and will everything

09:35 into existence.

09:36 - Yeah.

09:37 - So.

09:38 - And I think it's amazing, you know,

09:39 when you're able to meet other entrepreneurs

09:41 who are in the similar spaces.

09:43 One of the amazing things about the Forbes BLK community

09:45 and you've pointed to that perfect example

09:48 is the fact that you're able to network

09:50 and learn from the experiences of other

09:52 like-minded individuals in the industry

09:54 who have the resources, the experience to share,

09:57 hey, I had this experience happen to me.

09:59 This is what I learned.

10:00 And you share that within your own community

10:03 so that the next person that comes along

10:05 might have to run into that

10:07 because you're able to share the knowledge

10:09 that you've been able to learn over time.

10:11 - Definitely.

10:12 - Collaboration in the fashion industry

10:14 is a delicate balance between creativity

10:17 and business strategy.

10:19 Can you explain how TIRR navigates the process

10:21 of creating this collection?

10:23 So it not only resonates artistically,

10:26 but also contributes to the success and visibility

10:28 of black entrepreneurs and creators.

10:30 - Yes, I think that's an important question

10:34 because this is also a real current conversation

10:37 that I have with other entrepreneurs and founders

10:41 where it's like most entrepreneurs,

10:45 from my experience at least,

10:47 are either on the creative side

10:49 or they're on the business side.

10:51 Not many are well-versed within both.

10:54 I'm fortunate enough to not only have a passion

10:59 for the design, but a passion for production and animation.

11:04 But also I have a bachelor's in design

11:06 and my master's is in marketing.

11:08 So it's like I'm able to understand both sides

11:13 and know that the creative is equally as important

11:15 as the business aspect

11:17 and the business is as important as the creative.

11:19 And when you know that,

11:20 you either work it out within how you work and operate

11:25 or you bring people along that is able to do the things

11:30 that you aren't.

11:31 Even if you're able to do these things,

11:32 sometimes it's like you need people.

11:35 Most times you need people to do these things

11:38 and to help propel you in your vision.

11:41 And a perfect example of that is

11:43 while I was able to focus on the creative direction

11:46 of this project,

11:47 we have a wonderful brand partnerships manager, Devin,

11:50 who handles all the communication,

11:52 who's on top of everything. - Shout out to Devin.

11:54 - Shout out to Devin, who handles everything

11:57 on the logistical side

11:59 to make the creative side flow easier.

12:03 Because how we had to navigate all of that at once,

12:07 it probably would have been a bit harder.

12:09 And I think once again,

12:10 that goes back to community building, team building,

12:14 and not only having a team,

12:17 because a lot of people, especially these days,

12:19 in the entrepreneurial spaces,

12:22 I need a team,

12:23 I need a team.

12:25 And it's like most times,

12:28 yes, you may need a team,

12:29 but you also have to be a good leader

12:31 and also a leader that's willing to learn.

12:33 And also a leader that knows how to let other people lead.

12:36 And I think with brand partnership,

12:38 Devin knows how to lead.

12:40 So, yeah.

12:42 - That's great.

12:43 And speaking of being able to build teams

12:46 and creating that impact,

12:47 what you were mentioning earlier,

12:49 I read a little bit of things

12:50 that you actually connect and reach out

12:54 to the people within your local community

12:56 and bring them into the business,

12:58 whether it's through volunteers

12:59 or actually hiring them for a job.

13:01 So creating that exposure also to people to say,

13:05 "Hey, you can also be in the fashion industry too."

13:08 Or giving them that exposure

13:09 of what that experience is like.

13:12 So can you talk us through

13:13 how that fits into your vision with Tear?

13:16 - I just remember being that boy growing up

13:19 in Farragut Projects, downtown Brooklyn,

13:21 and people telling me what I could and couldn't do.

13:24 Right?

13:25 Or there not being spaces

13:27 where I felt like I could be fully myself

13:31 or spaces where people thought that I didn't belong.

13:34 Thank God, and luckily I was the kid

13:37 that always said if you...

13:39 Thank God I was the kid that,

13:41 I always said when people said that I couldn't,

13:44 watch this.

13:45 But if I wasn't that person,

13:46 then I don't know.

13:48 So for me,

13:50 all these things are super important

13:53 because it goes back to the notion of representation.

13:57 It goes back to,

13:58 okay, I'm gonna go back.

14:02 I'm gonna do the work.

14:03 I'm gonna get in these spaces.

14:04 And when I get in these spaces,

14:06 I'm going to bring other people along.

14:09 Because just like I felt like I probably was shunned

14:12 or wasn't provided opportunities

14:16 that I may have wanted in the past.

14:18 Or if I felt like people didn't take me as serious

14:21 when it came to certain things,

14:22 or they didn't believe when I told them certain visions.

14:26 I don't wanna treat people like that or be like that.

14:29 So for me, it's like if I see somebody that's passionate,

14:31 somebody that's dedicated,

14:32 and they just have the will to learn,

14:34 'cause learning is the biggest thing.

14:36 Where it's like, once you stop learning,

14:39 there's nothing else to do.

14:40 And if anybody feels like they ever stopped learning,

14:43 you need to reevaluate that.

14:45 So I think finding like-minded people,

14:49 and not like-minded people as in they do

14:51 and think exactly like you,

14:53 but y'all are along the same frequency

14:55 and y'all compliment each other well enough.

14:58 And that can go from a staff to a founder

15:02 or founder to a like founder.

15:04 You have to make sure your team meshes well.

15:06 And I've been lucky and fortunate enough

15:08 to have some amazing people on my team.

15:10 - You absolutely do.

15:11 - Yes.

15:12 - Well, thank you so much, Nigeria.

15:14 And my very last question is,

15:16 what are some of the ways that you envision

15:18 Forwards Be Okay and T.E.A.R.'s upcoming collection

15:21 to create a long lasting impact in the fashion industry?

15:24 - I think from this collection,

15:28 not only do I want people to get a sense of empowerment,

15:37 I want people to once again feel like,

15:39 that's me, I can do that.

15:42 And bigger than that,

15:43 I really do want it to feel like a celebration

15:45 because even though like everything hasn't fully hit me yet,

15:48 like this is big, like this is huge.

15:50 And I'm still trying to figure out

15:53 the right way to celebrate.

15:54 But no, like I truly do want people to realize

15:59 that these things are possible.

16:01 And I think if the takeaway from this collaboration

16:05 could be that, and it could be like,

16:08 oh no, like they really paid attention into detail, right?

16:11 So like me, like I used to always be on the Forwards page

16:13 and I used to always repost the quotes

16:16 and every quote had like this,

16:18 the like two red quote marks.

16:21 And that was literally one of the first things

16:26 I thought about.

16:27 I'm like, no, no matter what,

16:28 the quotations has to be somewhere on this garment,

16:31 no matter what.

16:32 Because I just, like all the time,

16:35 I'm reposting the quotes of the day,

16:37 the quotes of the day.

16:38 'Cause like, I like little like,

16:40 like affirmations or things like that.

16:42 I like just like keep you going.

16:44 And just to see where like,

16:45 and like once you read these things

16:47 and then probably read up on like the actual person,

16:50 you realize that a lot of artists and entrepreneurs

16:52 and creators, like we live similar lives

16:55 of trying to figure out how to navigate and balance.

16:57 And sometimes we never find that.

16:59 - Yeah.

17:00 - You know, and I do truly want within this collaboration

17:04 for people to find and see themselves within it.

17:07 I think that would be like my ultimate goal from it.

17:09 - Yeah, well, I think that's so beautiful, Nigeria.

17:12 And honestly, I a hundred percent agree.

17:14 This is a collection that we've been working on

17:16 for the past few months.

17:17 And I'm just so excited to kind of officially have this

17:21 be something that the community can see

17:23 and just really a celebration of what is to come.

17:26 This is obviously the first of many collaborations

17:30 that we're going to have with black creators,

17:32 much like yourself.

17:33 So thank you so much for being here

17:35 and trailblazing the way for future collabs.

17:37 - Thank you so much.

17:38 - Thank you.

17:39 - I appreciate y'all.

17:39 (upbeat music)

17:42 (upbeat music)

17:45 [BLANK_AUDIO]

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