Brothers Aftab Ahmad, 25, and Abdul Haseeb, 22, both studied at the University of Sheffield and are now behind Sheffield G Collections, a fashion business specialising in vintage leather jackets.
The story of the business began long before the brand itself existed.
Aftab, who studied a Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, had already established himself online under the name βSheffield Gβ, building an audience of more than 400,000 followers across social media.
His younger brother Haseeb, who studied Business Management, also developed a significant online following under the name βSheffieldChadsβ, with more than 100,000 followers.
After graduating from university, the brothers began experimenting with clothing reselling as a side hustle. What initially started as a small operation gradually developed into something much bigger.
With Aftab's established online identity, the brothers eventually named the business Sheffield G Collections.
We started off just reselling clothes as a side hustle, said Aftab Ahmad.
At the time, we didn't really know where it would go. But as we learned more about the fashion industry and saw how people responded to the products, we realised there was an opportunity to build something much bigger.
But the brothers brought different strengths to the business. Aftab's background in computer science and experience building a large online audience gave the brand a strong digital and content-driven foundation, while Haseeb's Business Management background has helped shape the commercial and operational side of the growing company.
We've always had different strengths, which has actually worked really well for the business, said Abdul Haseeb.
Aftab already had the audience and the identity behind Sheffield G, while I was studying Business Management and was more interested in the business side of things. We could bring those two sides together.
After graduating from the University of Sheffield, the brothers moved to Doncaster, where the business has now been based for around a year.
The company initially operated from one office before moving into a larger space as the business expanded.
Today, Sheffield G Collections sells to customers online and has built up more than 1,000 five-star reviews, reflecting the growth of the business from its early days as a small reselling operation.
But the brothers' ambitions go beyond simply finding and reselling vintage clothing.
Each jacket is carefully sourced, professionally cleaned and, where appropriate, reworked or redesigned. The brothers have already experimented with creating their own variations, including jackets featuring fireman-style clasps, while also working towards future designs.
The aim is to take vintage pieces and add their own creative direction rather than simply reselling them in their original condition.
For Haseeb, the development of the products themselves has become an increasingly important part of the business.
We don't want to just buy a jacket and put it straight back up for sale,β said Haseeb.
We're interested in what we can do with each piece and how we can make it feel like something that's ours. That's why we've started experimenting with different designs and reworking vintage pieces.
The brothers' social-media backgrounds have also played an important role in the development of the business.
Between them, Aftab and Haseeb have built audiences of more than 500,000 followers, giving them an understanding of online content, branding and audience engagement that they have been able to bring directly into Sheffield G Collections.
The Sheffield name remains an important part of the company's identity.
Although the business is now based in Balby, Doncaster, its name comes directly from the identity Aftab built while studying in Sheffield.
βSheffield Gβ was originally just my online name, Aftab explained.
It was never created with the intention of becoming a fashion brand. But over time, it became part of who I was online, so when we started developing the business properly, Sheffield G Collections felt like the natural name.
The move to Doncaster has since given the brothers a new base from which to develop the company.
Having started with one office, the business has recently moved into a larger space as its operations have expanded.
For the brothers, the move represents how far the business has come from its beginnings.
When we first started, it was just a side hustle and we were figuring everything out as we went, Aftab said.
To now have our own larger space in Doncaster and be developing products ourselves is something we didn't necessarily expect when we started.
The brothers are now looking beyond leather jackets as they continue to develop the brand.
They have begun working on their own denim collection, including bootcut and wide-leg styles, with plans to expand the range further and develop more distinctive pieces under the Sheffield G Collections name.
For the brothers, the current business is still only the beginning of their fashion journey.
What began as two Sheffield University students experimenting with clothing reselling has developed into a dedicated fashion business with its own premises, a growing customer base, more than 1,000 five-star reviews and ambitions to create its own distinctive products.
And while the name Sheffield G Collections reflects where the story began, the business is now firmly based in Balby, Doncaster, where the two brothers are continuing to build the next chapter of the brand.
