Mom Style has a Fashion Moment - LaDi and the Bump-friendly Movement
Bump-friendly fashion is here friends.
Recently, we had a fabulous fashion show event in NYC featuring some of my beautiful mom-friends in new styles from our LaDi collection. Our models were a gorgeous mix of moms and moms-to-be in different stages of motherhood including a recent preggo and one mom that was just 2 weeks away from giving birth! Some of these ladies have 1 or more kids and they are entrepreneurs, executives, students and all are beautiful in their own way. They are all superstars in their own right and they strut the runway that night like the supermodels they are. Moms are the real supermodels.
Bump-friendly fashion is what I like to say are stylish clothes you can wear during or after pregnancy. They are on-trend, sexy and made to enhance the woman that wears them whether she is pregnant or not.
Moms are under-represented in the world of Fashion
Ever since I discovered that cool clothes were simply not available for my growing bump, I’ve made a point to change that. It was during my 3rd pregnancy almost 5 years ago that I finally started making my own “maternity” clothes. Yes, you read that right. I got tired of shopping in the regular department stores and in the maternity stores to create looks. I was having to get super creative and going nuts piecing some of my old pieces with new pieces every day and especially when I had an outing! Going-out clothes were definitely not made for the preggos (not any good ones at least). And I love to get dressed up even with my baby bump. I kept wondering why there was no FASHION for pregnant people? Women get pregnant. There should be more than rouched t-shirts and cardigans to wear out. So why?
Well, it turns out maternity is not the best market in the business of fashion. People tend not to buy maternity clothes, considering it’s a temporary solution to a temporary condition. So, major manufacturers focus more on offering basics (lots of basics), rather than innovative or trendy styles. (Think t-shirts, t-shirt dresses, more t-shirts and cardigans.) This keeps inventory safer to have and design and aesthetics very low maintenance from season to season. The offerings barely change from season to season. They also make the fit baggier because, though it is less flattering on most, it makes it easier to accommodate a large segment of the population with very little tailoring involved. The final result: a bunch of basic, casual clothes that never really fit quite right. Clothes that you would never have bought in the first place and that you finally caved to when you really couldn’t fit into anything else anymore. It happened to me the first 2 times around. But, by the 3rd pregnancy, I was done.
Creating what I wished already existed.
So, I started designing pieces that I could wear out to dinner, on date-nights and to parties that made me feel good about myself! Most importantly, I made them to be fun and easy to wear. It’s so good when you don’t have to muster up a lot of energy to look fancy. Just put it on and go! They are designed to flatter so that you don’t have to sacrifice style while your body adjusts.
Here’s my Why
Inclusivity. The industry standard has been shaken up for years because it doesn’t represent the majority of the population. Unlike the ideals for beauty represented by traditional runway models, we are not all 5′10, size 0 or eternally 16. We change, we grow, we get pregnant and we change again. But we rarely see a reflection of ourselves on the runway at NYFW.
I wanted to put motherhood on the runway. We don’t all look the same, but we are all capable of looking incredibly gorgeous. I know that. I do that. I wanted to make that a possibility for every woman.
The Collection
This collection includes new styles that push even a bit further. I encourage women to really dress up, to wear color and to have fun with it. Every style has a simple detail, a particular point of interest that makes it memorable. And I love that so much because many times we turn away from cameras when we are pregnant because we don’t feel like ourselves or we don’t think we look good. And we miss out on creating memories of this special time in our lives that will never come again.
I personally love fashion and I know the positive impact that our clothes can have on our everyday lives. It is true that if you look good you feel good. And I’m here to create beautiful things to wear during the most beautiful times in our lives, one piece at a time.
Follow along with us as we grow and bring a new vision for motherhood come to life on Instagram.
Here’s a video recap of the show. The new pieces will be dropping into the shop starting 9/29 and we’re really excited! All paper flower decorations are also available at the shop for your delight. Go check out our online boutique where everything is exclusively designed and lovingly hand-made for you.
BTW, the little guys taking a bow with me at the end are my 3 babies and my greatest inspirations and supporters. Enjoy the show!
Before you go... thank you!
I have to say a big thank you to all of the amazing talents that collaborated with me to make this event so fabulous.
Models: Ariana Bello, Ana Martinez, Shaquita Garcia, Jules Cruz, Jenny, Lory Linette Diaz-Valentin + Isabela Valentin (baby)
Collaborators:
Carlina Zacarias, Samara Vega, MizzLula - Makeup Artists
Nikki Vazquez - Pretty Nikki Jewelry
Zayda Rivera - PR
Karen Soriano - Karen Decor Balloon arrangement
Darleny - Cake Pops and More Branded Goodies
Dahiana Perez - MC
Michael Alberto - Venue including AV and Set Up
Miguel Pichardo - Videographer
Daniel Valez - Photographer
Sponsors:
Maybelline
Spa O on the Go
Reaching Heights Wellness & Coaching
Silvia’s House Cleaning
The Birth Deck
Luimy Pure Romance
Special thanks to Alicia Diaz-David for all the love and support! And to all my family and friends for always being there!
