[[[Girls Talk to Boys, July 2013]]]: Chit Chat Friday with In Pig
Maternity wear, daunting I know. Before I was pregnant I promised myself I would still look stylish during my pregnancy. I did, but once you get to a certain size you can't wear normal clothes anymore, the lovely bump just gets in the way. And vintage, yep vintage was completely out of the question for me. Nothing fit right, which was a big shame as half my wardrobe is vintage. But what if you could purchase beautiful inspired vintage maternity pieces that didn't break the bank? Well mums to be or mums to be again, look no further as I have a new maternity range that will get you oh so excited. In Pig, an elegant vintage inspired maternity line, allows you to look vintage and stay comfortable all at the same time! Edwina and Johanna, designers of In Pig are huge vintage lovers/connoisseurs and didn't want to stop wearing vintage just because they were pregnant, so what did they do, they designed a maternity line that met their vintage loving needs! I had a chance to meet up with Edwina for a little chit chat, read on to find out more about In Pig!!!!Check out their beautiful collection here: http://inpig.co.uk
1. TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF? WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND?
We grew up in London. Johanna studied History at Cambridge University, I studied English and Drama at Trinity College Dublin. We both had experience working in the creative industries, Johanna in the art world and I as an actress but after having children we wanted to do our own thing so we could be flexible. We’re both lovers of vintage clothes but obviously starting In Pig has been a real adventure for us. We’re both married with two children and live in Hackney.
2. WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START IN PIG? WHERE DID THE NAME COME FROM?
We have always loved and worn vintage clothes and found that we were having to compromise when pregnant. We felt that there was a huge gap in the market as there was nothing out there that combined vintage and maternity, nothing for vintage lovers like us.The name comes from the nonsense language of the Mitford sisters – they described being pregnant as being ‘in pig’ and the resulting offspring as ‘pigs’. We liked the fun, tongue-in-cheek aspect of the name and thought it would be memorable.
3. WHAT DO YOU LOOK FOR IN MATERNITY CLOTHES? HOW DOES IN PIG MEET THESE REQUIREMENTS?
We wanted clothes that reflect a sense of style and individuality, but are comfortable to wear throughout pregnancy. We hope that’s what we’ve achieved with our first collection. They are also clothes that you will want to wear when you aren’t pregnant. Our dungarees in particular have been a real hit with non-pregnant women!
4. WHAT INSPIRED YOUR FIRST COLLECTION?
We were inspired by pictures of our mothers when pregnant – they look so comfortable and stylish in pretty floral smocks and dungarees. We wanted to create a capsule collection that would cover all key maternity needs – a dress for special occasions; work wear; casual dress and dungarees.
5. HOW WOULD YOU DESCIRBE YOUR STYLE? DOES THIS INFLUENCE YOUR COLLECTION?
Yes, we wanted to create a collection that we would wear and did wear throughout our second pregnancies. Our styles tend to be a mixture of vintage and high street. We like wearing clothes that make an impression.
6. BESIDES YOUR OWN LINE, WHO ARE YOUR FAVOURITE DESIGNERS?We’re both lucky as our mothers kept a lot of their old clothes. We grew up with wardrobes full of Biba, Ossie Clark and even a Schiaparelli that we have been able to take advantage of.
7. IF YOU COULD COLLABORATE WITH ANYONE IN THE WORLD, WHO WOULD THIS BE AND WHY?
We’d love to work with Barbara Hulanicki, the founder of Biba. She’s amazing and her designs were fabulous and also very wearable. They have stood the test of time.
8. DO YOU HAVE A FAVOURITE CAFÉ, BOOKSTORE, SHOP, ETC THAT YOU GO TO GAIN INSPIRATION?
The Victoria and Albert Museum is an amazing source of inspiration, not just the clothes collection. Having toddlers tends to limit where we can go – not sure you’d count the pigs at Hackney City Farm as inspiration!
9. DO YOU LISTEN TO MUSIC WHEN YOU DESIGN? IF SO, WHO ARE YOU LISTENING TO AT THE MOMENT?
We spend a lot of time listening to nursery rhymes… and we normally have Radio 4 on in the background!
10. BEST ADVICE SOMEONE HAS GIVEN YOU?
Spend your investment money on making the product the best it can possibly be. You shouldn’t have to spend a lot of money on marketing, PR, branding etc if the product is strong enough.
11. WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO US?
If you’ve got a good idea, persevere. They’ll be plenty of setbacks on the way, but view them as opportunities to learn. A lot of the time we felt we were going backwards rather than forwards. Ask for advice wherever you can – we were so amazed and grateful for all the help from friends and friends of friends.
12. ANY UP AND COMING EVENTS ARE EXCITING NEWS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US?
We’re busy with our newborns, but in September we’re looking to add to the collection and are busy working on designs.