Fashion student Eleanor Wollweber found herself twiddling her thumbs when lockdown put paid to her course.

So she decided to invest her time and a couple of hundred pounds to try her hand at launching her own clothing brand from her Rochester home.

With cash from her student loan not being used and an astute business mind, she saw that women were spending more time at home during lockdown – so bought in leisurewear from a wholesaler.

The entrepreneurial 20-year-old customised T-shirts and hoodies with her own designs which included on-trend tie-dying creations.

At the same time, she created a website, elsabelleuk.com , a company and launched her Tie Dye Edit collection – all from the family home in Rochester.

With orders steadily rolling in, Eleanor – who is in her second year at the University for the Creative Arts in Rochester – started branching out making dresses and playsuits.

Her house in Maidstone Road has become a mini manufacturing business with items turned out on the kitchen table and other living areas being used to store clothing.

She said: "My social media, in particular Instagram, was rapidly growing alongside this. I gained more than 10,000 followers in just under five months. As my followers went up, so did my sales, confidence and happiness."

From the £200 she originally invested, she has made £2,000 which she has ploughed back into the company. Her clothes have been snapped up from as far away as Michigan in the States, across the UK as well as locally.

The former Rochester Thomas Aveling pupil said: "I pride Elsabelle UK on being a girl boss clothing brand and being built from nothing into everything it is today. I've worked so hard every single day and I continue to work hard and passionately round my business. It is my complete dream job and I never dreamt it would take off like it has."

Eleanor paid special thanks to her parents, Barry and Diane, and boyfriend, Mark Stephenson, for their support.

She said: "My mum has had to put up with clothes everywhere and helps with my photo-shoots.

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"I'm determined to grow my business into an even more successful empire and I'm so excited to see where it goes next."

Eleanor, who has a brother Daniel, 17, is studying, fashion, media and promotion.

Hers is one of a number of firms around the county either launching or expanding during lockdown.

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