Weekender: Apprentice star prepares to launch new fashion brand in her home city

Photo credit: BBC

Entrepreneur and star of the current BBC series of The Apprentice, Sian Gabbidon, is preparing to launch her next fashion brand in her home city of Leeds.

Gabbidon founded Sian Marie Fashion and promised Lord Sugar passion and fire in this year’s competition. Next week she will star in the series final, ahead of the launch of a new  Tropical Goddess swimwear collection.

Pieces from the Tropical Goddess range will be previewed to the city’s fashionistas at a luxe VIP launch in Leeds later this month, before the collection pre-order drops online in January 2019. The idea for the brand was born from Gabbidon’s frustration with the fashion available to her at the time, as she was constantly having pool party outfit clashes.

With that in mind, she got to work creating striking and unique swimwear pieces that would not only accentuate the female form, but allow the wearer to customise each item through the use of reversible and multiway styles.

Throughout her time on The Apprentice, Sian has built up a loyal fanbase in Leeds, and has even become an unofficial mascot for Leeds United when she backed the team to win automatic promotion under Marcelo Bisela.

She has also been seen sporting the emblematic LUFC team shirt and was even given the VIP treatment by Andrea Radrizzani at Elland Road last month. But, whilst this partnership may seem unlikely to some, in actual fact it was something that came very naturally to Sian. As a teenager, she trialled for the club’s Centre of Excellence, but her refusal to head the ball ultimately lost her a place.

Gabbidon turned her attentions to studying and gained a first in Fashion Design and Marketing at Huddersfield University . It was these skills that led to her success as an entrepreneur, which impressed the notoriously ruthless Lord Sugar when she auditioned for the hit BBC show.

Gabbidon said: “I’m so excited to let my hometown be the first to see the new collection! The support from the people of Leeds for my stint on The Apprentice has been incredible – I’m proud to be flying the flag for the north!’’

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