Featured image: FemWear

A revolutionary clothing brand is changing the narrative for women living with gynaecological and gut health conditions. FemWear, founded by 27-year-old designer Roya Rasouli, offers not just fashion but a sense of comfort, empowerment and community for women navigating health challenges.

For a decade, Roya unknowingly battled the pain of endometriosis, a condition she has endured from the age of 11. Pelvic pain so severe it often sent her to A&E became a recurring ordeal. Yet, despite countless medical consultations, her pain was dismissed.

Despite countless hospitalisations and visits to gynaecologists, Roya was assured there was nothing wrong with her. Roya’s suffering at the time was not only physical but also had an impact on her mental wellbeing: “I felt really alien and not understood… I just felt that I’m so different. I asked myself: ‘How could this be?'”

In 2019, the pain became debilitating for Roya, leading her to undergo laparoscopy surgery, which uncovered that she did in fact have endometriosis. The diagnosis came as a relief: “I just burst into tears of happiness that now I have a name (for her pain).” After a decade of suffering in silence Roya decided it was her responsibility to help women with endometriosis. She says: “I vowed that I would do anything I can to not allow future generations to go through what I had been through.” It was from this that FemWear was born.

As a fashion designer, Roya struggled to find clothing which did not worsen the symptoms of her condition. Through her research, Roya found that the fashion industry fails not only to accommodate women living with gynaecological and gut health conditions but also women in the different phases of their menstrual cycle.

Roya says: “Our bodies have been ignored as women during the design process, in the fashion industry they don’t look at the different phases of your cycle and how a garment should fit around all the days of our cycle due to water retention, inflammation and bloating.”

Support for women throughout their cycle is central to the design and the production of FemWear’s clothing. The brand relies on the idea that clothing should not act as a restrictive part of your life, but they should serve us in our day-to-day.

As a business, FemWear is committed to ethical and sustainable goals. It uses 3D designing technology to limit waste in the production and sampling of clothing. All of its fashions are produced in Manchester to ensure that its materials are ethically sourced and reduce the impact on the environment.

“I believe if I am empowering the women who wear my products, I should have an empowering supply chain too,” says Roya.

FemWear is an all-encompassing brand which goes beyond fashion. It is an organisation seeking to raise awareness and create a community for women with endometriosis and gut health conditions. They provide free resources including guides on periods, pelvic conditions and endometriosis and run free wellness events ranging from paint and sips to yoga sessions. These enable women to connect with others who have shared a similar experience in their health journey.

Despite the adversities she has faced, Roya has used her experience with endometriosis to inspire confidence for women in their struggles with endometriosis and gut health conditions. She explains FemWear’s ethos is one of inclusivity and empowerment and is a brand which strives to serve women from all walks of life. She says: “It’s definitely a community and more than a fashion brand. It’s a place, I call it giving back to my tribe, because these women are my tribe.”

Follow @Femwear and visit femwear.co.uk.