In 2022 Chelsea Warren was enjoying the success of Uptimum Bodied, her modern athleisure brand that grabbed the attention of celebrities and a lot of regular people who wanted to look cute and be comfortable while working out.

A year later, her brother Marco, a popular footballer, was killed in a hit-and-run accident.

Broken, she was about to shut her business down when a picture on Instagram of the two of them reminded her of the positives.

It’s what led to her new store, Uptimum Bodied. Hoping it inspires others to “dare to dream big” she made a film, It’s Only Up From Here, that will premiere tomorrow at 6.30pm at Speciality Cinema as part of Uptimum Bodied’s grand opening.

A ribbon cutting follows at 7.30pm at the store, located on the upper level of Washington Mall. An after-party at Karma Night Club starts at 10pm.

Uptimum Bodied is a family affair, featuring clothes and shoes designed by Chelsea, Marco and their mother, Wendie.

It’s a journey that started nearly a decade ago while Chelsea was in Huntsville, Alabama, studying to become an accountant.

“I wanted to go to the gym, but I wanted something cute to work out in so I just wanted to design a cute collection. I had no desire to start a clothing brand, however I've always had the entrepreneur mindset since a very young age. Basically I popped these designs out, flew to New York, and I hated them.”

The experience wasn’t wasted. It awakened a passion for design that she hadn’t known was there.

In 2018 she relaunched Uptimum Bodied with the slogan, “It’s only up from here”.

“I've stopped and paused. I've been through so much. I’ve manufactured in LA, manufactured in Turkey, in New York, Pakistan, China …. And in 2019 I designed these two-toned sweatsuits that shifted the world.”

By then she was living in Atlanta, Georgia and watched in amazement as her sweatsuits “kind of disrupted the industry”.

“They became very popular and I've sold thousands of them,” Chelsea said. “We've had celebrities in them. We've had our designs copied by multiple boutiques and so we kind of put a stamp on these sweatsuits that gave us our name.”

Marco, a graphic designer, had created the logo for Uptimum Bodied and, with Chelsea, designed football boots and tracksuits that are now on sale. His death, on May 14, 2023, was heartbreaking.

“I ended up just coming back home to be with my family. My brother has a one-year-old and so I came back to make sure I could help with him,” Chelsea said.

“When I came back home in November, my goal was to find a place to put his boots in to sell, not thinking that I would be [able] to operate a storefront because at that time, I wasn't mentally equipped.

“I came back pretty much with broke pockets; my mind felt kind of broke as well, I was just kind of broken in every aspect, but I found true passion and purpose from trying to carry out my brother's legacy.”

Walking around Hamilton she couldn’t find a store that truly reflected her brother and his accomplishments. “I wanted it to really be a big thing,” Chelsea said.

She stumbled upon what was then a vacant spot in Washington Mall and “fell in love with it”.

“I want people to feel inspired when they leave my store. I want them to feel motivated. I want them to look at my store as a story of resilient tenacity, because losing my brother last year really, really put me in a very dark place. If you talked to me last year I would never have imagined me to have a store right now,” she said.

“It has been beautiful watching my family and friends come together to help bring together this beautiful store that has so much meaning and purpose, and I know it's something that will carry on.”

It’s Only Up From Here is a compilation of experiences she has logged since she started her fashion journey in 2017.

As described in its synopsis: “Step into the world of entrepreneurship, where resilience meets strength and every challenge is a stepping stone to success. Experience the highs, the lows, and the unforgettable journey of those who dare to dream big.

“Be a part of this inspiring cinematic experience at our Speciality Cinema and witness the story that could spark your own entrepreneurial journey.”

Chelsea is also hopeful that it will help people better appreciate the store design which, with the help of her brand and “a lot of symbolism”, has an “airport feel”.

“It's good for things to look good, but for you to actually know the process and how much work I put into building a brand, I think is important,” she said.

“[Marco’s death] put me in a very bad place, but it's so beautiful to just see how far I've come, and how, with my family, I’m continually pushing through. My brother's death also showed me the true value of life and how we’re living on borrowed time and you want to live in your purpose.”

It’s the type of thinking that helped her regain her focus on Uptimum Bodied.

Having decided to shut the business down she was about to delete its Instagram page but a post a few days before her brother died made her pause.

“It was a picture of my brother and I, with our backs to the camera. And in the picture the shirts we were wearing said, ‘It’s only up from here’. Immediately, it just sparked something in me: this isn't the time to give up and quit the business, this is the time to propel forward and push the message of purpose and to encourage other people to not give up,” she said.

“Because I'm not the only one grieving ― my family is, the island is. We've experienced so much pain and so much hurt. People can know that when they’re wearing the brand they're representing something that's bigger than the clothing.”

• Uptimum Bodied’s grand opening takes place tomorrow. For film tickets and event times, visit uptimumbodiedbda.com/. Follow @uptimumbodied on Instagram