A NIFTY student from Oxford created her own sustainable sportswear brand over lockdown.

Shannon Ladhani, 24, from Summertown, studies Fashion Design at Nottingham Trent University, and decided over the spring lockdown to put her skills to good use and create her online sports apparel shop 'Daisies and Dumbells'.

Miss Ladhani said: "I have always been interested in art. I studied textiles and fine art when at school in Oxford and now I am studying Fashion Design at university.

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“Over the March lockdown, I was at home and doing a lot self-driven projects for my second-year assessments, and I started getting into making a lot of marble prints.

“When things got difficult during lockdown, I thought I could do something productive, so I created Daisies and Dumbells.”

Miss Ladhani saw a market opportunity when people started exercising more over the pandemic, particularly when the gyms had reopened.

Yet the student wanted to make sure her sports clothing was ethically made with sustainable materials.

All the lycra, cotton, and even the delivery packaging is made from sustainable materials and can be recycled.

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The young fashion-designer said: “Our brand is all about active-wear and we provide bespoke sportswear and apparel that is not only good for the gym, but can be worn as street-wear and everyday clothing.

“Everything is ethically handmade by me and my supplies.

“When I say handmade, that is exactly what I do. I make each pair of leggings, or shorts, exactly to the customer's measurements so they fit perfectly.

“All of the designs on the clothing are based on my own prints that I have made for uni.”

Daisies and Dumbells clothes are not only sustainable but 'highly functional', Miss Ladhani said.

She added: "I wanted to make something very functional for the gym, so the materials are completely squat-proof.

"The clothes are versatile, very comfortable, but are also stylish to wear around the streets."

Miss Ladhani’s goal for her business is to be customer-orientated, providing buyers with the styles they want and the sizes they needed.

She said: “Right from the start of the purchasing process we are very customer-focused.

“After the initial interaction on Instagram, Depop, or the website, I have an in-depth conversation with the customer about the size and what they are looking for.

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“When I send the order, I write a hand-written note to the customer and give them a sweet treat, just so they know how much their order means to me.

“I understand the importance of the customer, and good customer feedback is what motivates me.”

You can order sportswear from Daisies and Dumbells website: www.daisiesdumbells.com

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