Tackling Growth, Social Media, and Immersive Retail with TALA

TALA has grown quickly in just a few years. What does the business look like today, and what have you brought to it as CEO?

TALA is a women’s activewear and loungewear brand. We focus on products that are more thoughtfully produced, that are flattering, multi-way, and really perform under active conditions. We were founded six years ago by Grace Beverley, and we had rocket-fuel growth from the very beginning. We’re venture-backed, based in the UK, and we ship worldwide, in fact our second biggest market is the US.

I joined as CEO four and a half years ago. Before that, I was CEO of a men’s D2C fashion startup called SPOKE, and before that, I worked with big companies like LVMH, Farfetch, PVH, Calvin Klein, and Tommy Hilfiger. So, I’ve seen both sides—startup and scale.

You mentioned growth. It’s something people often celebrate, but it also comes with challenges. What’s your take?

I honestly think growth problems are good problems. If you’ve ever worked in a company that’s flat or declining, you’ll know those are the really hard days, managing things like redundancies, cost-cutting, saying no to exciting ideas because you can’t afford them. So, I always feel a degree of gratitude for growth problems.

With physical product businesses, you often hear about growth bringing supply chain challenges. That’s especially true when companies are founded by folks who aren’t supply chain experts. My advice? Get a solid supply chain team early. Those problems are usually solvable with good planning. The trickier challenges are things like brand perception in a fast moving business, particularly in the era of social media. You can’t always control it, and it moves fast, but still, I genuinely believe growth is a privilege. I’m a little obsessed with growth: personal growth, company growth, all of it.

We can’t control everything people say, but we can control the work we do and how we do it.”

How do you stay on top of that key social media channel without letting it overwhelm the business?

We’ve been lucky in this regard, probably because it is such a key priority for us, but it’s definitely something we think about. There’s a lot of brand takedown content circulating right now, especially on TikTok. People make critical videos without knowing the context, and they can gain traction fast.

If you’re going to play in the social space, you have to accept that people are going to talk about you. That’s the trade-off for the incredible network effects. For us, it comes back to integrity and mission. We can’t control everything people say, but we can control the work we do and how we do it.

You also have a direct line to customers through social media and sales. What’s your approach to listening to them?

We’re lucky because we have so many data points. We’re transacting all day, every day, and we talk to our customers constantly, through comments, feedback, surveys, events. One customer left a comment today about a vest she loved that we don’t make anymore, and even though we had our reasons for discontinuing it, I felt that disappointment. You never want to let a customer down.

But it’s a balance. You have to listen to what she’s loving, but also remember that we’re working 12 months ahead, with insights and trends she hasn’t seen yet. Our job is to build on what she already loves while pushing things forward.

How do you get to know your customer beyond the data?

In a lot of ways, we are the customer. Most of the team is in her demographic, which is such a gift. We’re running an internal focus group every day. People are creating products and content that they’d actually want to buy. Beyond that, we have so many touchpoints across social channels, our website, wholesale, in-store, events like run clubs and focus groups. We use every opportunity to get closer to her.

Social is still massive in terms of volume, but the store allows for a deeper, more personal exchange.”

You recently opened a physical store. Tell us about the reasoning behind that…

We’re on Carnaby Street, just off Regent Street, so it’s a big commitment, but we made the decision very deliberately. We analysed the timing, the exact micro-location, everything. If I’d felt nervous about it, I wouldn’t have done it. In fact, I felt more scared not to do it.

For Challenger brands like ours, you have to grow to survive. So, it was a bold choice, but also carefully planned and necessary.

What does that physical space allow you to do that digital can’t?

It’s the clearest expression of our brand we’ve ever created. It feels more “us” than any other channel. That’s the magic of physical retail, it’s immersive. She sees the brand, she smells it, touches the fabrics, meets the team.

We know our customer leads a busy and variable life day to day. Her day might start with a dog walk or other home responsibilities, then a suite of meetings and deadlines, a Pilates class, drinks with friends. So, our store reflects that: it’s not a sport shop. It’s high-performance activewear, but with layering pieces, tailoring, and ready-to-wear style. It feels more like a beautiful fashion boutique than a traditional sportswear space.

And how’s that store experience evolving the conversation with customers?

It’s early days, but the feedback loop is already incredible. Social is still massive in terms of volume, but the store allows for a deeper, more personal exchange. You can’t always see the difference between one black legging and another online, but in-store, she can feel and see the difference. Or she picks up a vest and realises it’s the softest one she’s ever touched—something she didn’t know she needed until it was in her hands. That’s the power of physical. It’s a conversation we’re excited to keep deepening.

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