A Co Antrim woman who launched a clothing brand with inclusivity at its core, says the support she has received has been overwhelming.
Drew Clarke is the owner of Unalteredd, which aims to bring a level of comfort and confidence to anyone who wears their leggings.
Speaking with women of all backgrounds prior to launch in 2021, Drew made sure she didn't leave anyone out when designing and creating - and her leggings are now hailed by those wheelchair bound and those who have a stoma bag.
Speaking to Belfast Live, Drew said: "I started my own freelance business journey back in 2017 and this all came from my love of making women feel good. I really thrive around other people. During coronavirus, this came to a very sudden end, and I wasn't expecting that. I thought it was time to look to the future, and see what I could do next.
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"Covid was just a huge knock for everyone. For me, I wanted to grow a business that I loved and would be passionate about, but that would also make people feel good. I thought about what could benefit me as a person and then in-turn, benefit others.
"I lived in leggings previously but couldn't seem to find any that were comfortable and gave my confidence. That sounds strange that I mention confidence alongside leggings, but because I lived in them, I wanted to feel good in them. That was how it all started.
"Unalteredd was born, and the name just encapsulates the brand because it promotes self love. You shouldn't have to alter yourself to fit in. Our main product would be leggings but we do have hoodies and other items which drop every couple of months.
"For me and a lot of my friends, I find especially around your time of month, the band of leggings can be so restrictive and uncomfortable. I wanted to tick every box, I wanted to be able to wear the leggings dressed up with heels, or in a casual way, to the gym, in a wheelchair, and for those who may have a stoma bag, and have had difficulty sourcing leggings in the past.
"Before launching, I had known of one girl who had a stoma bag and when I was getting samples done, I reached out to her to ask her thoughts on leggings. I wanted to created legging to stay up, but not be super tight on the waist either. The response has been amazing.
"'Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game' is my all time favourite quote. If it’s fear of judgement or not succeeding.. if you don’t try you’ll never know. The only person you owe it to is yourself."
Drew says with big plans for the future for the Unalteredd "sisterhood", she wants to continue to empower women, especially those who may be feeling nervous to launch their own business, or follow a dream.
She added: "Our leggings are for everybody. We are expanding on our size range, so we will go from XXS to XXXL, because we want to include every possible person we can. We have only been going for one year, so you can't do it all, but we have huge plans for the future and we want to be completely inclusive.
"I couldn't ask for a better support system. My husband has a full time job but he has come onboard too and he has been amazing as Director.
"My friends live in their leggings, and I think my sister and mum have every colour. It is so nice to get a buzz off other people, and I love when I am out and about and I see my leggings. That brings me a lot of joy.
"We are a sisterhood. A community of women who want to uplift each other and support each other. There is room for everyone."
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