‘We can do great things from Preston’, says founder of new sportswear brand

A Preston entrepreneur is hoping his new sportswear brand will become another strand of the city’s burgeoning business and creative scene.

Andrew Pye, from Ribbleton, is the man behind Avaider, which offers a range of athletic wear and sports clothing which can be worn for a host of activities.

Having previously worked for JD Sports and having rolled out new store openings for Footasylum, the 42-year-old Prestonian, along with a London-based business partner, have launched Avaider and are retailing direct via avaider.com.

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Andrew said: “I could easily do my own thing and not promote where I’m from, but I want to let people know I’m from Preston and proud of the city.

“The success of SpudBros is a great example of people taking pride in Preston and doing great things from here.

“There’s also these pockets of culture springing up in places like Chew’s and that’s great to see.”

With his experience working for sports and trainer brands in the past, Andrew believes there is a booming market for athleisure clothing.

He added: “There is a definite trend of people taking care of themselves and social media is driving that because people want to look good in their photos. I want to provide clothing for that market and be part of it.”

With plans to try and get listed by leading retailers, the current aim is to drive people to the website to see what Avaider has to offer.

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