Ankle swingers, unintentionally cropped sleeves, proportions that are slightly off – these are but a handful of issues that tall women experience when buying off-the-rack clothes. Tailoring and tweaking are a given to ensure an item is comfortable, fits well and looks good. Irene Agbontaen, who is 5ft 11”, is not only out to solve these problems, but to create clothes that are exclusively designed with tall women in mind.

Agbontaen’s brand, TTYA (Taller Than Your Average), started life in 2013, and in recent years, she’s been shaping it into its latest form alongside ASOS. Now known as TTYA Lab, the label has relaunched with a concise edit of 14 pieces that, as defined by the buzzy tagline, are “built to rotate, built to layer, built to repeat.” She told at a preview: “We’ve been really intentional with our direction. The pieces need to work hard – they need to be interchangeable and fit into your existing wardrobe.”

“I originally started the brand out of frustration,” she said ahead of the new collection’s release. Having personally experienced a gap in the market, Agbontaen came up with “hacks” to navigate shop-bought items, including non-negotiable tailoring of each piece she purchased, wearing XXL men’s shirts and even sewing two pairs of jeans together to compensate for a lack of hem length.

“The struggle for me has always been the foundations” – which is why Agbontaen wanted to introduce her take on classic staples, graded accordingly to fit taller women using a new alternative system to standard practices.

The silhouettes of the designs are a reflection of her personal style: as someone who travels regularly, she wanted to create the perfect “uptown, downtown” tracksuit, which is made from a lightweight material that drapes onto the body. Blazers can be a tricky find for tall women, but TTYA Lab’s “snatched” boned style is longline, as are the stirrup leggings and herringbone wrap coat it can be paired with, and the simple capped-sleeve tee that can be worn beneath.

The vintage-inspired, grey wide-leg trousers – which come with an adjustable internal waistband so they can be worn high-waisted or on the hips, available in a 36- and 38-inch leg seam – are perfectly long, too. Ditto the bias-cut satin skirt. Further good news for any existing (or budding!) TTYA customer: the footwear, which for this drop features a thong-toe heel and tall boot, goes up to a UK 12.

Fittings were a crucial part of the design process. Jasmine, a model who was at the showroom preview, was present throughout, giving feedback as each adjustment was made, while Agbontaen called upon a focus group of over 30 women to provide input on what they’d love to see TTYA achieve. She also invited a select few members of the community via a social casting call to try on and shoot the collection before anyone else. “We wanted to show it on real women, and real bodies,” she revealed. “They really gave us the kind of co-sign that we were on the right path.” And they’ll help decide where TTYA Lab goes next.

Shop the collection