Leeds fashion store launched after owner experienced maternity discrimination set to open second shop

Ms Unwin said she had “never dreamed” of launching her own fashion brand until the experience.

The firm is now set to open its second premises in Swillington, Leeds, this autumn.

The 36 year old said: “Fashion buying was my dream job, but it quickly turned into a nightmare after my maternity leave ended.

“Work got really hard, they were making my life really hard. Never in a million years had I thought that I would walk away from that role, but once I had Edie my priorities changed.”

In 2014, Ms Unwin gave birth to her daughter Edie at just 25 weeks. After a long stint in hospital, Edie was diagnosed with cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

Ms Unwin asked her employer if she could work reduced hours to take care of Edie’s needs but every request was denied.

Due to these issues, she was forced to leave what had been her “dream role”, and went on to found The Style Attic from her home.

She said: “At the time I was so upset and frustrated by what happened. When I think about it now I’m thankful that I no longer have to work for a company that treats its female employees in such a way.”

With years of experience in the fashion industry behind her, the day that she left her job, Ms Unwin went to a local wholesaler and purchased “bin bags full” of clothes.

She added, “I ran straight upstairs and started ripping the carpet out. My partner came home and I told him that this was it, I was starting a shop from the attic of our house.”

Ms Unwin then began to post on Facebook to let people know of her new business and within a few weeks word had spread across her hometown of Swillington. She said: “I wasn’t sure that people would visit, what with having to knock on the door of my house to get to the shop. But they did and then they would come back, this time with a friend, and it snowballed.

“I think the novelty of the shop actually being in my attic was what helped word spread. If I had taken out a loan and bought a shop, I don’t think it would’ve worked.”

By 2019 demand was so high that Leigh eventually decided to take The Style Attic out of her home, and purchased premises in Rothwell.

Eight years on from the launch of the brand, Ms Unwin now has a team of 12 women working alongside her and has just purchased her second premises.

The all-female team at The Style Attic is largely made up of family and friends most of whom have children themselves and, like Ms Unwin, found the transition back into full-time work was made difficult.

Ms Unwin said: “If I could, I would make it so that no other woman ever had to experience what I did with returning to work post maternity leave. Unfortunately, I know that I can’t do that. But I can make sure that my team at The Style Attic never experiences that.”

The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and the Equality and Human Rights Commission in 2015 found that 54,000 women a year were dismissed, made redundant or forced to leave because of pregnancy or maternity leave.