A climbing-crazy design engineer from Cheltenham has used her problem-solving skills to design a specialist range of clothing for women with the help of the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme.
Ahlam Qattan hopes the Clover Climb garments, tailored to the athletic female figure rather than based on the industry standard fit model, will encourage more women to take up climbing as an activity.
Ahlam, who has been climbing since her university days, recalls her eureka moment vividly: “I was at my local climbing wall with friends, and someone made an innocuous remark about a sports bra digging in or leggings slipping down. This was followed by a tidal wave of comments along the lines of ‘this doesn’t fit me properly’.
“It had been at the back of my mind for a while that if no one else was going to do it, maybe I could design something that fits. When I asked my friends if they would buy it, I was met with a barrage of yeses. Once I had said it out loud, I had to do it.”
Ahlam Qattan, a design engineer from Cheltenham, has used her problem-solving skills to design a specialist range of clothing for women.
Ahlam works in research and design (R&D) for a medical equipment firm. But her mother had taught her how to sew as a child – “I’d made my own clothes before” – and she applied the same principles to Clover Climb as she would for any engineering project.
“When I’m given a brief, I look for gaps in my knowledge and work out who to speak to – in this case a garment designer and a pattern maker, who helped me understand how the process works and explore fabrics and fastenings.
“I also write out a list of requirements. With my clothes, I was looking for durability, sustainability and ethics – a great fit, form and function. I was very familiar with these things and very comfortable with the conversations.”
Ahlam was no stranger to poorly-fitting clothing. “It’s a common problem for women that as soon as you develop any muscle, say through sport, clothes stop fitting,” she explains. “I discovered this after leaving university. In my first job, I had to wear a suit and couldn’t find shirts to fit, and even had a jacket split up the back.
“Women make so many accommodations for this: upsizing, wearing men’s clothes, a top from one range with bottoms from another.”
A research trip to London gave Ahlam an insight into why. The standard fit model takes women’s sizes from zero upwards, increasing bust, waist and hips in two-inch increments. “It’s based on a slim fit, a straight and simple cut, with no change in proportions for musculature. I tried on so many clothes from different brands, and I was squeezing out of every part. I wanted my clothes to be based on what the female form really looks like.”
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For example, the full-length T-shirts are a women’s specific cut rather than ‘unisex’, flaring out at the bottom so they sit over the hips. “The shirt then skims the body evenly, rather than being loose on top and tight on bottom like a lot of unisex shirts,” Ahlam explains.
The initial drop of T-shirts, a bag and training kit happened in late August last year, with a second drop of sports bras, leggings and trousers due once Ahlam is 100% happy with her samples. Take-up has been good: “The first time a complete stranger placed an order, I burst into tears,” says Ahlam. “This was someone who saw the range, had no context for who I was, and just believed in what I was trying to build.”
Feedback has been equally gratifying: “Customers say the quality is beautiful and the clothes function well – they have sent me pictures of themselves climbing and having adventures in my clothes.”
She had originally planned to fund Clover Climb herself, but: “I got my costings back and realised if I really wanted to commit, I’d need support – and funds.” An online search led to the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme which offers fixed rate personal loans of up to £25,000 per director. “It had a pretty good rate and the process looked straightforward,” said Ahlam.
She was put in touch with Ellie Garbett, Start Up Loans Officer with SWIG Finance. “I’d written a business plan, and the template sets out very clearly what’s needed, plus Ellie sat on a call with me and went through it line by line, telling me what I needed to work on or change, making sure I’d covered everything off,” Ahlam recalled.
“After that, it only took a week or two for the money to come through. It made a huge difference, especially when it came to buying stock – it enabled me to buy more than the minimum, reducing the price considerably and keeping my retail price competitive. I was also able to take time over my samples and make sure they were right.”
Ahlam is no stranger to poorly-fitting clothing; “It’s a common problem for women that as soon as you develop any muscle, say through sport, clothes stop fitting.”
The Start Up Loans programme also offers free mentorship, and Ahlam checked in with retail expert Nick Keogh. “We talk about what I’m doing, and he gives me advice or researched things for me. It’s nice to have someone who has done it before to tell me I’m not completely insane.”
In the future, Ahlam would like to use her business to support the female climbing community. “I feel like I’ve learned so much for them, and I would like to give something back – say by sponsoring events or individual athletes.”
SWIG Finance’s Ellie Garbett was “delighted” to support Ahlam’s SUL application. “I liked how she had identified a problem in the market and came up with a solution to address it,” she said.
“And that the brand has a clear ethos and is committed to creating apparel that supports not only women but also underrepresented groups across sports. Ahlam’s background as a designer engineer, combined with 15 years of climbing experience, gives her the experience and skills to make this new business venture a success.”
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