Isabella Oliver Maternity Fashion

Wendy Turner-Webster: Most women when they're pregnant despair at some point about how uncomfortable they feel. Nothing fits and some women feel they have to wear shapeless baggy outfits to hide their ever growing shape. Well, help is at hand from maternity wear outlet Isabella Oliver which offers stylish maternity wear that ensures you don't have to give up your sense of style just because you're pregnant. Joining me in the studio is Vanessa and Baukjen, co- founders of the company. Hello! Welcome both of you. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Hi! Wendy Turner-Webster: Baukjen, you look at if you're about to give birth any second. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Yeah, few days to go. Wendy Turner-Webster: Few days to go. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Few days to go. Wendy Turner-Webster: Wow! Okay, then good luck for all of that. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Thank you very much. Wendy Turner-Webster: Okay. The company Isabella Oliver, how did you all start? Baukjen de Swaan Arons: We met when we were both about seven-eight months pregnant out in the county. We're both on the weekend away with our husbands and we became friends. Pregnant women have to talk very quickly to each other and we did and we became friends. And we would meet up in London and both of us were at a point in our careers where we needed to change because we're doing jobs where we're traveling a lot and we're becoming mum that probably wasn't going to go hand in hand. And we realized when we're talking to each other how much we both wanted to our own company and we were thinking about how could we make something work together and Vanessa being from her background which is design and one of the jobs she was Head Designer of Victoria Secret. When she was pregnant, she noticed as how difficult it was to get maternity wear that we'd liked and we thought other women like us would like. I have a marketing background and we thought well if we put hands together, we probably got quite a good complementary skills. And so after we've had our first borns, Isabella is Vanessa's daughter, Oliver is my son. We started the company. Wendy Turner-Webster: Vanessa, what specifically did you find when you were shopping for maternity clothes? What were the problems, what was the gap in the market? Vanessa Knox-Brien: I just couldn't find basics. I couldn't find a sexy t-shirt, a camisole. I couldn't find outfits sort of garments that would just take me from day to evening just simple, simple things I couldn't find. Wendy Turner-Webster: What did you end up wearing? Vanessa Knox-Brien: Luckily I was pregnant during the summer, so I wore spaghetti dresses everything in jersey or bias cut silk and I just made those and I lived in the things like that and I thought wouldn't it be great just to come up with the capsule collection of these key pieces that I would like to wear and I think my friends would like to wear as well and similar people in my situation. Wendy Turner-Webster: So do you source these outfits, these garments or do you actually design them yourselves? Vanessa Knox-Brien: We design everything ourselves. Wendy Turner-Webster: Wow! Vanessa Knox-Brien: Yeah and to come up with our first collection we bounced the collection of to pregnant women about I don't know about a hundred or so, different backgrounds, different stages of pregnancy, they've had their babies, they've had their babies years ago, they're on first and second baby and we asked them what they would really loved to have had in their wardrobes or what they needed, what was lacking and we came up with I think we noted down to ten pieces. We started off about a hundred and we now are down to ten key items and we thought we'd stay really focused and that's how we began basically. Wendy Turner-Webster: Okay, you bought some clothes in to show us, they're being modeled by Trisha, if you'd like to come in Trisha? Vanessa Knox-Brien: And this is one of our new pieces for autumn and it's our sweated tunic. And it's taking off from the sweater dress, that's really hot this season. And what's great about this it's got a removable cowl, so you can wear it two different ways or takes it off to show a nice plunging neckline. Wendy Turner-Webster: Yeah, that makes it really different, doesn't it? Vanessa Knox-Brien: Yeah and you can wear the cowl over one of your own tops. It's just because when you're pregnant, you get hot and cold so frequently. You don't know about it. So you can just adjust it with different temperatures. Wendy Turner-Webster: Are the trousers yours as well? Vanessa Knox-Brien: No, these are Trisha's own jeans and just to show you how versatile it is. You can wear it one of our trousers or even tights and boots. Wendy Turner-Webster: Can you just turn around Trisha to show us the back? Vanessa Knox-Brien: It's a really versatile piece and that's why-- Wendy Turner-Webster: Yes and it's stitched in such a way, isn't it? That it's so well shaped for your bump.. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Yeah, we like when everything fit and flair just to show up the shape and not hide it. We do like to show off the curves. Wendy Turner-Webster: What it's made out of? Vanessa Knox-Brien: This is, I think it's more hair blend and it's got 10% Cashmere so it has a little touch of luxury, but very easy care. Wendy Turner-Webster: Looks very comfortable. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Very versatile. Wendy Turner-Webster: Thank you very much. So obviously, if somebody is interested in these clothes, as I am sure they will be indeed, where can they buy from? Do you have a shop or is it an Internet mail order company? Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Now we found pregnant women like to try things on the comfort of their own home. So what we decide to do is to do it a mail order on Internet within the UK free returns and exchanges, so you can just have it, deliver it to your work or your home and you can just try it on. Your own comfort of your own wear in your house and then you just sent things back that you want it changed, different color, different size or you think it doesn't suit you, it's very easy. Wendy Turner-Webster: Very easy. Okay. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Yeah. Wendy Turner-Webster: I think Trisha is ready for the next outfit. Vanessa Knox-Brien: This is one of our favorite. I'm wearing this same top. Wendy Turner-Webster: Those are the same, isn't it? Vanessa Knox-Brien: Same top and a different color wear. For a lot of our tops, you don't need to be pregnant and they work throughout all your stages. The ruching really helps because you can use the fabric when you need it or ruch it when you don't and it just looks great. Wendy Turner-Webster: Do you know what's lovely about that top as well is that I think if you haven't got a perfect figure, it's a kind of top that actually if you're not yet pregnant you wouldn't perhaps be comfortable to wear. But when you're pregnant, you can actually really get away with it? Don't you? Vanessa Knox-Brien: Absolutely, because it really shows off your bumps. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Also it's good as Trisha is wearing it off the shoulder. But you can actually, some women a lot of our customers actually they want to wear a bra with straps and everything and they would be then wear on the shoulder. Wendy Turner-Webster: Can you pull it up for the moment Trisha? Baukjen de Swaan Arons: So you can wear it either ways you'd like. This top is probably the most popular with our non-pregnant friends. They all have this as well. Wendy Turner-Webster: Absolutely. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: It's great for after as well. Wendy Turner-Webster: Does it come in just those two color ways? Baukjen de Swaan Arons: It comes in also black. Wendy Turner-Webster: Also black, that will be very useful. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: What's good about this one is you can dress it up really well. Trisha is wearing on jeans but you can wear it on long skirt. Say you have it in black with a long black skirt. Wendy Turner-Webster: With jewelry. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: It looks a great outfit for Christmas parties. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Looks like a gown with our smooth line skirt which goes down to the floor. It's just such a nice long line. Wendy Turner-Webster: Yes, beautiful, lovely. Thank you very much. Trisha: Thank you. Wendy Turner-Webster: Of course, it's not always easy to see the potential of a piece of clothing when it's mail order. Vanessa Knox-Brien: That's true but in our brochure we do give lots of tips and advice on how to wear the garments, what shoes you should wear, what seasons this is great for, pieces to layer and we give as much advice as-- Wendy Turner-Webster: A sales assistant would in a show. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Exactly. We also have really, really great customer service people who are really -- they are stylist as well and people call all the time asking what should I wear this with and we give them suggestions. Dress it up with jewelry, dress it down with a pair of flats that kind of thing. Wendy Turner-Webster: Okay, I think we're ready for our next outfit. This is absolutely stunning. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Thank you. This is perfect for the office. This look that Trisha is wearing now, it's our ruched turtle neck worn with the ruffle trimmed wrap skirt and anything to do with wrapping is great because again you can wear it throughout your pregnancy, adjust it to whatever size you are and then you can wear it afterwards as well. There is no reason why you couldn't. Wendy Turner-Webster: And the material again is jersey. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Jersey. The skirt can be worn with frankly all our tops and this top can be worn with all our bottoms. It's easy, it's comfortable and exaggerating. Wendy Turner-Webster: You feature out a lot of black presumably because it's so easy to wear. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Easy to wear. It's a flattering, it matches everything. You can wear it day to evening and black is back again for this season which is great. Wendy Turner-Webster: Oh good! Vanessa Knox-Brien: You love it. Wendy Turner-Webster: I never knew to done out. Vanessa Knox-Brien: I know. But yeah, it always looks good and sheek. Wendy Turner-Webster: That looks ultra sheek. Thank you very much. It's gorgeous. I remember when I was kind of heavily pregnant to think of with my second child Freddie walking into a specialist maternity wear shop and I had gone in and wearing one of Garry's baggy shirts and some old comeback trousers. I don't feel very good. I came out feeling like a million dollars. It's really important, isn't it? When you're pregnant especially to feel that you're still stylish. Vanessa Knox-Brien: You should, you should always feel that way, you deserve it I think. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Yeah, I think it's a time when you do put on the weight in various places and a lot of women feel, unsure about how they're looking and how to make most of the features and everything and I think it's really important that you feel good. I think for the most women they say, if you feel quite nice on the outside, you tend to feel bit happier. And we find it and I think most of our collections does it. If it's form of fitting, if you're not hiding, if you're not pretending that you're not pregnant so you are buying bigger and bigger size clothes as well than just giving in and say okay I'm going to actually show off the bump and this actually quite does. No maybe it's actually over exaggerating but just feminine look. Wendy Turner-Webster: Years, years ago, there was definitely a trend to hide the bump. Vanessa Knox-Brien: And if you bigger, it just makes you look bigger and feel big. Wendy Turner-Webster: Absolutely. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Look at me now, I'm really - you don't get much pregnant - don't really pass this point but I'll wear something that's full in fitting. If I wear something that's all baggy and loose, it really doesn't mean no fair at all. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Show that bump parts right. Wendy Turner-Webster: Okay, we're ready for our next outfit. Thank you, Trisha. Vanessa Knox-Brien: This is our halter wrap made of course in same signature jersey and with a beautiful wrap feature that we love so much. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: This is great and in the summer, it's great for all the parties in the winter. Trisha is wearing on the hipster trousers. We have two kinds of trousers. Some women like over the bump, some women like under the bumps. So we've got for both and then you can wear with the skirt this top, you can wear it with jeans. We have it in a variety of color, so you can wear it in day and you can wear it in evening. Wendy Turner-Webster: Throw the brower out for the evening. Can we? Vanessa Knox-Brien: You can or you can wear the bra because some people don't like to go braless. So Trisha has it wrapped very low but you wrap it higher and just wear a convertible bra. These little halter bras. Wendy Turner-Webster: Yes. So that in actual fact isn't it amazing because it looks such a simple top. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: It is. Wendy Turner-Webster: But the thought and design that's gone into it to make it so adaptable. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Yeah. It's great. Wendy Turner-Webster: It's obviously incredible. Vanessa Knox-Brien: All the skirt and flip-flop is just great for summer holiday. Absolutely. Wendy Turner-Webster: So did you tell me what colors that comes in? Is that just black? Vanessa Knox-Brien: No, it's black, pink, it crimson red. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Brown. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Brown Baukjen de Swaan Arons: And white. Wendy Turner-Webster: So I can imagine that work great. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Very, very useful staples, indeed. Wendy Turner-Webster: That's lovely. Thank you very much Trisha. Do you think pregnant ladies find it particularly difficult to source true evening wear, cocktail dresses for instance? Vanessa Knox-Brien: I think it is and I also think it is difficult because you don't want to spend a fortune. So I think the key is to buy things that you can dress up that you can wear later like a great jersey dress in black I think or neutral color that you can wear later on with flats casually and then dress it with a brooch, with beads or big earrings or things. Wendy Turner-Webster: Because as well I think just because if somebody is pregnant, it doesn't mean that they're not going to go out to a party. Vanessa Knox-Brien: No, that's what you need at the most. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: It can't be really a challenge but I think definitely some of the items we showed today, a lot of them can be dress up like the halter or the wrap around top, or off the shoulder. It's a question of accessorizing it little bit but I think really when you make a nice combination, you can go out feeling very quite sexy and confident hopefully. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Right. Wendy Turner-Webster: Yes, absolutely. Well, let's have a look at some evening wear now. Vanessa Knox-Brien: This is our strapless dress. Wendy Turner-Webster: Absolutely stunning. Vanessa Knox-Brien: It's got a little Grecian feel to it. Wendy Turner-Webster: It does rock? Doesn't it? And this comes in black? Vanessa Knox-Brien: It's only black. Yes and it looks just as nice with flats as it does with heels. And it's again you can wear it throughout your whole pregnancy. Wendy Turner-Webster: What's that made of? Vanessa Knox-Brien: It's our jersey again. Wendy Turner-Webster: Doesn't it funny. Vanessa Knox-Brien: So versatile. Wendy Turner-Webster: Yes, it looks so -- I don't know how to describe it. It doesn't look like I would think jersey, it looks much more expensive somehow feel to it. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Yeah, it has really nice trait to it -- it's a really nice quality. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: You can wear it with a necklace or some long earrings or have some bangles whatever you like to make it your own signature look. Wendy Turner-Webster: Now you're about five months pregnant, so come and take some weight off here --. Absolutely. So the company is being going for how long now? Vanessa Knox-Brien: Nearly two years next month. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Next month. Wendy Turner-Webster: So you are a baby company. Really, aren't you? Vanessa Knox-Brien: Yeah, our babies will be two in October 1st. Wendy Turner-Webster: Have you been thrilled with response -- generally how is it being going? Baukjen de Swaan Arons: It's been going very well and we launched in America a little while ago. Wendy Turner-Webster: Excellent. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: So it's all going really well for us. Wendy Turner-Webster: You're forever sort of researching, designing, is it a completely 24 hour a day job for you? Vanessa Knox-Brien: Absolutely, especially being pregnant all the time helps. I just have my second. Baukjen's on her third. I think we end there. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: We stop. Vanessa Knox-Brien: We have to just outsource our opinions. Wendy Turner-Webster: Well, actually all the fabulous fashions that you showing me today is nearly tempting me almost to become pregnant again. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Give us a call. Wendy Turner-Webster: Okay, I give you a call. Thank you so much for coming. Baukjen de Swaan Arons: Thanks for having us. Vanessa Knox-Brien: Thank you.