What inspired you to launch your own maternity store? Did you have a fashion background?
We decided to launch Isabella Oliver as we couldn?t find stylish essentials to wear during our first pregnancies. We were often stopped on the street by other pregnant women asking where we had bought our clothes so slowly we started to think that perhaps there was an unaddressed market out there. Vanessa was a former head designer at Victoria?s Secret and has a design background, Baukjen had a marketing background and our third business partner, Geoff, has a financial and operations background. So we had a nice set of complimentary skills.
How did you find the courage to leave such high-profile jobs and how did you feel it was the right time?
We knew we?d have to make a change in our professional lives as we had jobs that involved lots of international travel. We knew that once our babies would be born we wouldn?t want to be out of the country several days a week.
How has the reaction been to the range? Why do you feel was there such a demand for yummy mummy dressing?
We were amazed at how strong the reaction was. Pregnant women loved it, the press wrote about us and the celebrities came knocking on the door. Looking back, we couldn?t have asked for a better start. We?ve had the likes of Trinny Woodall, Heidi Klum, Davina McCall, Myleene Klass, Anna Friel, Marcia Cross, Emma Bunton and Charlotte Church, we?re delighted.
How has your company progressed since? Can you talk me through the biggest milestones of your company?
We started in our own homes with the three of us. Now we have offices in an old warehouse building where there are approximately 25 people who work for Isabella Oliver. We launched in the USA in 2005 and that has been growing steadily. A few weeks ago we launched a European site and brochure and that too has been growing nicely. We are just under four-years-old and every day it amazes us how quick the business has grown. We have been very lucky.
What are particularly successful items that your customers buy (that they don?t feel they can buy on the high-street or non-specialist stores)?
Our wrapping and ruching clothes are very popular that are exclusively Isabella Oliver. Also our knitwear and coats are extremely popular.
Who designs it?
I was previously head of design at Vicotria?s Secrect New York [Vanessa] Baukjen & I work together on the designs and we manufacture with our factories all over the world.
From your experience, would you recommend that regular fashion boutiques should consider adding a maternitywear department? Is there growth to be had?
Maternity wear is very specialised and to do it well you need to know the needs of pregnant women. Some companies do it as an add-on to retain their customers during pregnancy but often this is a customer retention exercise rather than a business project which must be profitable. We feel that to make a profit from this you need to focus on it properly. This is not to criticise all the high street chains, they just do not have the same financial criteria for the maternity wear section of their stores as maternity boutiques do.