Raise your hand if you’ve ever felt lost when searching for maternity clothes *raises both hands*. It can be so frustrating for moms-to-be of all stages to find fashionable clothes that fit, look great, and feel good.
Ariane Goldman experienced the same problem. Through her first pregnancy, she was frustrated with the lack of comfy and stylish clothes to dress her ever-changing body. She needed pieces that made her feel comfortable, stylish and would help her celebrate the life she was carrying. When she found none, she took matters into her own hands.
After her first daughter, Charlie, was born, Ariane launched HATCH, a clothing brand with garments versatile enough for every trimester and beyond. Ariane passionately believes that style should be celebrated during pregnancy, rather than sacrificed. Read on for more on what inspired Ariane to start her line, her favorite motherhood moments, and her commitment to a charity dedicated to mothers:
Name: Ariane Goldman
Age: 40
Current Title/Company: Founder & CEO, HATCH. Founder & CEO, twobirds bridesmaid
Location: New York, NY
Education: University of Michigan
Children: Charlie, 7 and Georgie, 3
After a successful career on Wall Street, you switched gears completely and founded twobirds Bridesmaid, a company that offers a one-size-fits-all design that can be worn after the wedding. Walk us through what inspired you to start your own business.
When I was getting married there was nothing out there I liked for bridesmaids, so I found fabric and got the dresses made for my four maids who had completely different body types. The reaction was amazing, so the light bulb went off, and I quit my job at American Express to start twobirds from my apartment in the West Village. twobirds is based on the need of millions of women to invest in an important milestone for a loved one, while also buying a dress that can be worn after the wedding (thus, “killing two birds with one stone”).
Twobirds is now sold in over 100 bridal boutiques across the world. What about your brand resonates with brides? Did you expect it to grow so quickly?
I had an idea that I knew was first to market. Since you can’t really patent fashion designs and given that my husband traveled all the time, I decided to pack a duffel bag of the dresses and go to any English-speaking country that had the same bridesmaid traditions as the U.S. to ensure I was the first mover with the convertible dress in the market. The product is truly genius and allows women of all shapes and sizes to feel beautiful in the same dress! It was only a matter of time before the images started to spread and the concept sold itself and led to a beautiful and successful brand.
Once you became pregnant with your first daughter, you founded HATCH. What was missing that inspired you to start this brand?
I was newly pregnant in 2010 and frustrated by the lack of stylish clothing options in the maternity market. Following the birth of my daughter Charlie, I launched HATCH to serve as a trusted resource for women who want to feel beautiful, confident, and stylish during one of life’s most rewarding (yet also most challenging) periods. When I was pregnant, there was no one speaking to me, so I wanted to start the conversation.
Today, the conversation is so much bigger. We’ve built a community of women who not only want to invest in pieces for themselves, but ask questions, meet each other, and learn about products that are good for them and that can nourish them in this moment.
What advice do you have for expecting moms who want to maintain their personal style while pregnant and parenting young kids?
Motherhood requires all hands on deck and usually results in less time for ourselves, emotionally, physically, and time-wise. I want to design for women whose bodies are changing and don’t know where to turn, for women who are busy and need a one-and-done solution for throwing something on that feels good and can be worn day into night.
I believe pieces with drape offer beautiful design lines as well as room to grow so that you’re not limited by size. During the first two trimesters, I usually recommend larger shapes that offer ease, then for the third trimester, I see women wanting to tighten up and wear more fitted pieces. It’s important for women to know that you can look and feel your best despite your body changing and you don’t have to give up your personal style to be your best self!
You recently launched HATCH Mama, a beauty line of toxin-free products for women during pregnancy and after birth. What inspired you to expand into beauty?
In order to continue to feed our passions and our babies, we need to take care of our bodies, holistically and intentionally. This gave me the inspiration for HATCH Mama – an edited line of non-toxic beauty products which were made to address the issues so many of us face during pregnancy and postpartum.
We spent countless hours developing our formulas in collaboration with leading chemists, herbalists, and skin care professionals to ensure that our products would be as effective as possible without compromising on safety. Additionally, our products are only made in factories that comply with Current Good Manufacturing Practices (as promulgated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)) and all of our formulas include ingredients at percentages well below the maximum safety use standards ascribed to each such ingredient Our formulas consist of 97% plant-based ingredients (yay!), and we primarily rely on the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR), an organization that is supported by the FDA. Their ingredient call-outs have years of scientific and research-backed studies to support them. They are completely safe and made from the best plant-based ingredients out there (plus they are gorgeous – total beauty cabinet envy!).
You’re committed to Every Mother Counts, a charity that ensures maternal health for millions of women globally. How did the partnership come about? What drew you to it?
When I first launched HATCH, I was reading about Christy’s [Turlington, Founder and CEO of Every Mother Counts] work and it was the perfect synergy. We had a friend in common, so I reached out to see if she’d meet me for coffee and she did. There’s not a kinder woman out there and we’ve been giving to Every Mother Counts and sharing the message ever since we launched.
Tell us about the transition to becoming a working mom to your two daughters, Charlie and Georgie. How has it has changed as your children have grown?
The irony is that I started HATCH after Charlie was born. I was strangely inspired by her birth. I know it sounds hokey, but I looked at her and knew I had to create this idea into something real. Motherhood and entrepreneurship have been dancing together ever since, and I can’t really do one without the other. While levels of guilt may fluctuate from time to time, I’m confident now that the hard work I’m doing is shining in the eyes of my girls.
What have been the greatest challenges and rewards from continuing your career while raising two girls?
Ahhhh…too long to write. The time I’ve missed. The pickups I can’t make. The times I’m busted on my phone while “playing” with them. There are so many things I wish I could do better, but it’s often just not possible. I finally am carving out literal time to make these regrets better so it’s not too late.
What have you learned in your professional life that influences your mom life? And vice versa?
I’m desperate to procure a work culture that celebrates women and motherhood. I will say that as we grow, it’s easier for me to provide better benefits to my employees that reflect my and the brand’s morals. It is quite hard, at the beginning at a startup, to be as generous as you’d like to be as there are no pinch hitters to cover for maternity leave, no people to fill in on sick days, etc. I’m so proud that we are moving in the right direction and getting stronger in our values and our benefits.
Tell us about your girls. How are you helping them shape their own identities and strong sibling bond?
Chacha and Gigi are such different girls, but they are bound by happiness and love. Seriously, I can name a zillion ways we are inept and messing them up but they are the happiest little ladies in the land which is good enough for us! Max and I take individual time with each and let them have their space but do try and be a unit of four as much as possible. They actually like each other!
What should all moms know about the adjustment from one child to two?
You need to have more martinis.
How do you and your husband, Max, divide parenting roles?
We divide and conquer, and are always grateful for each other’s help. We couldn’t manage all of the chaos without each other!
Childcare is never easy. What’s your current childcare situation and how does it work for you?
I couldn’t do this without our caretaker, Rosie. Max and I travel a lot and she leans in and keeps us together. My parents are also in the city, so they are here to help, too. It really does TAKE A VILLAGE!
Source: Kelly Stuart
Describe your parenting style, and why do you believe it works?
We are very real. There’s not enough time to be anything that we aren’t, and that’s the best we can do. We think it’s working because they are laughing and singing all the time, but who knows. I think adversity is healthy for children, so if we’re too lax, traveling too much, too affectionate… they’ll get over it.
When it comes to being a mom: what are you most insecure about and what are you most confident about?
Insecure about it all. I’m pretty bad when the girls get ailments, my heart falls to my toes and I’m not strong. I’m most confident about us showing them that life should be filled with friends and that it’s imperative they enjoy what they do with their time and decisions. Life is fleeting, so every moment is ours to make the most of.
If you could only pick one, what has been your favorite memory from motherhood so far?
Walking into my apartment at the end of a long day and both girls sprinting down the hallway to give me a hug.
Source: Kelly Stuart
Ariane Goldman is The Everymom…
Your camera roll is full of… My delicious sweet moments of my girls and inspiration ideas.
Dream vacation? Our beach house, the south of France, heading back to South Africa with the girls over Christmas.
Favorite family activity? Weekends at the beach.
Timeless maternity piece? The slouch dress. Any age, any stage, any body type… hands down the best dress out there
Most embarrassing mom moment? My kids are three and seven now, so embarrassment has become so normalized that it doesn’t occur anymore.
