Why Sophia Vassallo?

For me, it all begins with the support and resources that are available to us from when we're a child into adulthood.

My first experience with a psychologist was at the age of 15 and I didn't have many sessions with her as she was moving away.

However it was clear to see the benefits of the tools she provided me in a short space of time. The only caveat was the cost, that my parents had to pay.

My depression really reared its head whilst I was at high school aged 15. I was finding navigating my intensely introspective and isolating state at school every day more and more difficult and my parents decided to speak to my school about my mental health.

Although an exceptional school, they didn’t have anyone qualified as a counsellor or mental health practitioner and I was grateful that when my parents asked the school for support, that my Art Teacher was kind enough to give up some of her time to talk to me. 

At University for example, I was able to speak to the University counsellors who were fantastic and it was free for the University students.

But as I started got to the destination I had arrived at in 2020, I could see a horrendously wide gap that we are lacking in our education system.

One of my most successful forms of relief and my biggest outlet for my challenges around my mental health has been the Arts.

Music and Art to be specific.

For as long as I can remember at school, I have always preferred doing creative tasks where I can escape, fantasise and create new things, either putting myself in the narrative or enjoying how someone else's story plays out. 

It's not then surprising that I wanted to pursue music further than playing the piano at the age of 5 and my parents were fantastic in encouraging me to attend drama club, singing and violin to help me with my confidence.

At school, it was the only place where I felt comfortable or felt liked I belonged; whether on a stage, singing in the car, in a music class or dancing in my bedroom.

In 2018 when working abroad, I had a lot more time to myself in my spare time, and I decided to get back into painting. I had developed a new style of painting comparable to Jackson Pollock. Large splats on paper, expressive, loud and bold. 

Fast forward 2 years, I worked on this style and incorporated a technique called 'acrylc pour' where you manipulate the fast-moving paint on the canvas and it falls off the edge, resulting in beautiful wave-like patterns.

Why I created activewear

Art Therapy and self-expression are essential to finding your sense of self and I am so pleased that I found the ability to use my art for something that aligns with my core values.

I wanted to create an online store selling items that provided anxiety relief. I even had negociated wholesale contracts with publishing companies selling some fantastic books on mental health. 

One day, I stumbled across the ability to place my paintings onto leggings and realised they looked pretty good. I ordered so many samples during the pandemic to get the right quality of print and ensure I was happy with the quality of the fabric, stitch and longevity of the product.

After 3 years, I can say that my leggings have provided a solution for everyday comfortable and stylish clothes that help me to express myself.

In stores, all I can still see are plain, monotone colours that understandably are meant to be 'slimming' and 'flattering'; but it's nice to have more variety alongside great quality.

I wear my own leggings with my wardrobe and I will continue to find new designs that I like to style and wear with my favourite tops, jumpers and trainers.

The quality is fantastic; they are buttery soft, no see-through and are stretchy and comfortable with no colour fading after washes. This was a dealbreaker for me.

Additionally, the sustainability element is really important as the products are only made when someone purchases them, meaning there is no additional fashion waste. 

There are also a number of benefits to the way my clothes are produced in terms of printing rather than dyeing that I had no idea about and how that positively impacts water usage and less water pollution.

In late 2020 and early 2021 when I was 28, I started to research what I needed to do to start my own business, and I found a charity in the U.K. that supported young people with just that.