442: How Lara Olutunbi Turned Her Passion Into a Luxury Brand

On this episode of the podcast, we're joined by Lara Olutunbi, Founder and Creative Director of LarAllan, a London-based contemporary handbag brand known for timeless statement pieces that blend sculptural design, functionality, and African heritage.

Originally from Nigeria, Lara built an international career in financial services across the UK, Switzerland, Canada, and the United States before turning a lifelong passion for design into a business.

After training at Central Saint Martins and completing the Fashion Executive Masterclass through the London School of Economics and Africa Fashion Week London, she founded LarAllan in 2017. Since then, the brand has earned international recognition through Nordstrom.com, the ADAN x Zalando Black-Owned Brands Accelerator, CANEX, and other global fashion platforms.

In this episode, Lara shares how she made the transition from finance to fashion, the realities of building and growing a product-based business, the financial lessons that have shaped her as an entrepreneur, and why creating greater visibility for African luxury is such an important part of her work.

What Lara Discussed on the Podcast:

• Her journey from an international career in financial services to founding LarAllan.
• Turning a lifelong passion for design into a viable fashion business through education and preparation.
• The early realities of launching a handbag brand, from funding and manufacturing to product development and finding customers.
• The challenges of building and growing an independent luxury accessories brand.
• Financial lessons around pricing, inventory, cash flow, and deciding where to invest in the business.
• How her finance background shaped her approach to risk, growth, and strategic decision-making.
• What a career in finance couldn't prepare her for about entrepreneurship.
• Creating opportunities that led to international recognition and retail placement on Nordstrom.com.
• How to evaluate opportunities and say no when something doesn't make financial or strategic sense.
• What African luxury means to her and the importance of increasing its visibility within the global fashion industry.
• The decisions and lessons that have shaped nearly a decade of building LarAllan.
• Advice for women who want to explore a creative business idea without immediately walking away from an established career.

AND SO MUCH MORE

How to Keep Up With Lara:

• Shop on Website: https://LarAllan.com and on Nordstrom.com
• Instagram: @larallan

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