Hoodie sweatshirts or tracksuits are universal outfits these days. They are sports or athletic wear, but they are also worn at leisure where I believe the word athleisure was coined.

Sweatshirts and pants or tracksuits have come a long way in fashion so that they are designed in different ways and with different embellishments on them. They have logos and other graphic designs on them that distinguish them from others.

Tracksuits are also of different weights. Some are light, for not so cold weather and some are pretty heavy for deep winter seasons. But what distinguished our brand from others is the story behind it’s inspiration which I’m about to share with you in this article.

Our African Lioness Hoodies tracksuit was born out of my personal experiences as an African woman in the diaspora. I want to share some of the characteristics of an African woman in my opinion:

She is determined

She is intentional

She is focused

She is resilient

She is caring

She is loving

She is patient

She is unstoppable

She is a leader

She is a community builder

She is a homemaker

She is a mother

She is a wife

She is a sister

She is a friend

What are the characteristics of a Lioness?

An icon of bold and fierce beauty yet gentle and nurturing

A true queen in her paradise

Extremely independent and ambitious

Empowering and caring for others

Plays a strategic role in her pride along with her king

She is fearless

A fighter for a just cause

When you merge these characteristics together, you have a formidable, wise and strong woman known as an African Lioness. I believe I have these qualities. So when I was designing this piece, I was speaking to myself, projecting my attributes, encouraging myself, having come a long way, having fallen and picked myself up many times, having made giant decisions and having achieved tremendous milestones in life so far with little or no support from anyone, I can rightly say that I am an African Lioness.

I want to use my brand to not only tell my story but also to encourage every woman who has been through so much and is still standing. Every woman is a lioness. If you look at the African Lioness artwork on this apparel, you will notice that her hair is the map of Africa depicting her heritage, the lion on her head depicts strength, and the rest of her body depicts beauty.