Latest / Mama Making Podcast / Catherine Walsh | Beautiful, Comfortable, and Functional: How Holly Rose Co is Redefining Postpartum Fashion

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Catherine Walsh | Beautiful, Comfortable, and Functional: How Holly Rose Co is Redefining Postpartum Fashion · Mama Making Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, everyone, and welcome to the Mama Making Podcast.
• 0:03
  SPEAKER_00: I'm your host, Jessica.
• 0:04
  SPEAKER_00: If you're new, welcome.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: If you're not new, then welcome back.
• 0:07
  SPEAKER_00: Today I am so excited to have Catherine Walsh on the podcast, the founder of Holly Rose Co., a Canadian brand creating locally made breastfeeding clothing from organic cotton and natural fibers sewn by local seamstresses.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: A mom of three under four, a trained doula, and a passionate advocate for birth babies and the postpartum experience, Catherine built Holly Rose Co.
• 0:28
  SPEAKER_00: out of a deeply personal need.
• 0:29
  SPEAKER_00: After gaining 50 pounds in her first pregnancy and navigating years of body and wardrobe changes through weight fluctuation and subsequent pregnancies, she wanted to create something that made postpartum women feel beautiful in the body they actually have right now.
• 0:43
  SPEAKER_00: Her work sits at the intersection of slow fashion, ethical manufacturing, and a genuine care for what moms experienced after doing the hardest, most extraordinary thing their body can do.
• 0:54
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome, Catherine.
• 0:55
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for being here.
• 0:56
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you so much for having me.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_00: I'm so excited.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_01: Well, tell us a little bit more about you, who you are, where you're from, whatever you're comfortable sharing.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 1:03
  SPEAKER_01: So, like you said, I'm a mom of three, which our house is very full.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's busy.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: We love it, but it's sometimes I just look at my life and I'm like, it's just crazy, but it's fun.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I have always just wanted to be a mom.
• 1:19
  SPEAKER_01: That was like when you were asked when you like growing up, like, what do you want to be?
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like at job interviews, I'd be like, Oh yeah, I just want to be a mom.
• 1:26
  SPEAKER_01: And they'd be like, I don't know if that was the best answer to that question, like in a job interview.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, that's all I've ever really wanted to do and be.
• 1:34
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think yeah, having pregnancies that were kind of back to back to back, I really had a big wardrobe change, and it was very frustrating going to the closet every single day, and it would take me so long to get changed that I was like, I just need to do something about this.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: Um and so yeah, in my with my first, like you said, I had such a massive body change and wanting to just make that process easier.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: I had this idea.
• 2:03
  SPEAKER_01: So my oldest daughter, my first, her name is Holly.
• 2:07
  SPEAKER_01: So that's kind of like what the company was named after.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: And uh I had this idea like with her that I was like, I want to create this brand that's like it, it just wasn't out there, right?
• 2:16
  SPEAKER_01: I think now, I mean, that was four years ago.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: Now there's definitely more postpartum and like maternity brands.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: But back then there they're like, I mean, there wasn't really anything, and it wasn't cute, you know what I mean?
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: Like it wasn't there all of the clothes were just no.
• 2:30
  SPEAKER_01: So then I had that idea, didn't really do anything with it.
• 2:32
  SPEAKER_01: Then I had my second, kind of tried a couple things, but didn't really do anything.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I just kind of like kept hitting Roblox.
• 2:38
  SPEAKER_01: And then I found out I was pregnant pregnant with my third, and I was like, okay, I just have to do this.
• 2:43
  SPEAKER_01: So what made me decide to start a business while I have two young kids and a third on the way, I don't know, just craziness, but yeah, it was like full-blown launch into crazy.
• 2:57
  SPEAKER_01: So it was fun.
• 2:58
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 2:59
  SPEAKER_00: What I think is so interesting about mom founders is it like is never the right or quote unquote best time to start something.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_00: But it's like at that intersection of like exactly when you need it and when you have like the fuel and energy to do it.
• 3:14
  SPEAKER_00: Maybe not energy if you're if you're pregnant, but it's so cool to see that you've been able to take like your experience, which is so universal to so many of us moms, whether you like quote unquote bounce back quickly or not, your body changes so much after pregnancy, especially after your first, but each pregnancy your body changes and does something different.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, you you just grew a human, and and a lot of times you're growing a human while chasing around other babies.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_00: So I think the experience that you had was so universal.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_00: I think all of us have experienced one time or another being like, oh my god, I'm dreading going to the closet and and seeing what doesn't fit.
• 3:58
  SPEAKER_00: Or like my um, I had my son in Octo in October.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: So I had all of the winter, and my wardrobe was literally just leggings and big crew neck sweatshirts.
• 4:10
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that that's so common for all of us to be like, okay, like dreading putting on something that isn't comfortable or that you know isn't gonna fit well.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_00: And then that process, I mean, my son is three, and I'm just now figuring out like what things I feel comfortable in, what things fit my body in a way that I like.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: And it's just like an ever-evolving thing.
• 4:32
  SPEAKER_01: Totally.
• 4:33
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, totally.
• 4:34
  SPEAKER_01: And you go and you try something on, and then it's like, I remember we had after my first I had a wedding that I was going to, and I went to so many stores, like it was insane.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I tried on a million things and not like it all looked horrible.
• 4:49
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 4:50
  SPEAKER_01: Like it all, I was like, because I just had to, I mean, also you have a new body, right?
• 4:54
  SPEAKER_01: So you also kind of have to figure out how to dress this new body, you know.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: All of maternity clothes are kind of designed around accentuating your belly, whereas then after you have kids, it's like no longer socially acceptable for that belly to be accentuated.
• 5:13
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 5:14
  SPEAKER_01: Like, it's like, oh now we need to cover it.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: So then now your whole wardrobe, not that I'm saying you have to cover it.
• 5:21
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, you don't, you know what I mean?
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: That's just what society says.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: But like it's the clothes aren't necessarily made to like transition that.
• 5:29
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 5:30
  SPEAKER_01: In a in a nice way, you know what I mean?
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, that makes sense.
• 5:34
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, this is a much bigger conversation about how our like culture in society decides like what is important and what isn't.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: But I think again, it's like a universal thing where it's like, okay, you had this baby, now you have to cover up your quote unquote problem areas and don't acknowledge the fact that like body's changing, we just did something amazing.
• 5:55
  SPEAKER_00: Like, I always remember getting the advice the coolest thing ever.
• 5:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: I remember getting the advice of like, well, what would it say to a friend that was like having body image issues?
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, You just human, like your body did something amazing, but like day to day reminding myself of that is one thing.
• 6:14
  SPEAKER_00: But then, like, I go to put on a pair of jeans and it's like there's not a chance these will be zipping or buttoning.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's so hard to like you're going through so much like change, change and transformation.
• 6:28
  SPEAKER_00: And while like some people might see it as vanity, like our body image is so part of who we are.
• 6:35
  SPEAKER_00: And I love the work that you're doing to really like confront that.
• 6:40
  SPEAKER_00: When you were building your or choosing to build your business, what did what were like the tenets that you wanted to go into it with um in terms of making moms feel more comfortable being in their bodies?
• 6:55
  SPEAKER_00: What was like your focus going into it on that front?
• 6:58
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I think the biggest thing was like, I think after I kind of similarly to what you said about like wearing leggings and like just a big sweater, it's like I felt so, I don't know, like just non-f not feminine, you know, after having ki have like just the way that I was dressing myself was like very and I don't know, just baggy and loose and like and it's and I mean maybe baggy and loose isn't like the right word because I feel like our dresses are loose, but like just not pretty.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like I just didn't feel beautiful, you know what I mean?
• 7:31
  SPEAKER_01: And I felt like like nothing fits but everything that fits like my husband's t-shirt.
• 7:35
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, even that's like maybe a little bit too tight now, you know what I mean?
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like I felt like I really wanted to have something that like was comfortable, you know, like comfortable to like be pregnant in to be postpartum in, that you didn't feel like you had to like wear something like that makes your belly look smaller just so that you can make your belly look smaller, you know.
• 7:57
  SPEAKER_01: Like I wanted something that you could just feel comfortable in.
• 8:00
  SPEAKER_01: And I think a lot of the things, like I tested out all of them.
• 8:05
  SPEAKER_01: And because I have a postpartum belly because I had three kids, is like I was able to test them well.
• 8:10
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 8:11
  SPEAKER_01: I was like, do I feel comfortable in this?
• 8:13
  SPEAKER_01: Yes or no?
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_01: No, okay, then then no one else is going to feel, or maybe some people will, but I'm like, I want everyone to feel comfortable like after they have kids, so that like you could go to the closet, your closet, and like pick something and just be like, I know that I'm gonna feel good in this, you know?
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_01: And I also am like, I want, I really wanted people to feel comfortable and beautiful at the same time.
• 8:38
  SPEAKER_01: And then also somewhere work in the fact that you can also breastfeed in it.
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_01: Because to find those three things postpartum, like comfortable, beautiful, and functional, no, there's no, like what is that?
• 8:52
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I don't need like so, anyways, I that was like my main things.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 8:57
  SPEAKER_00: So tell me from the the idea that you were like, okay, I want to go do this.
• 9:04
  SPEAKER_00: How did it go for you in terms of like, okay, I need to find a manufacturer and I need to decide like materials are important for you?
• 9:13
  SPEAKER_00: Like, how did that whole process go from the idea and the spark to be like, okay, I'm doing this to getting your your first sale?
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 9:22
  SPEAKER_01: So that was why it took me so long to do it because with my when I first had the idea, I kind of like went and researched manufacturers and all of those things.
• 9:33
  SPEAKER_01: And I mean, there was a couple different things.
• 9:36
  SPEAKER_01: One, it was so much money up front, like to do kind of like the manufacturer route, like like a local manufacturer was a lot just up front.
• 9:45
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, I don't have that.
• 9:47
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm I wasn't able to do that route.
• 9:49
  SPEAKER_01: And then I kind of just got stumped by that and was like, okay, maybe it's not the right time.
• 9:54
  SPEAKER_01: And then with my second, I looked at like the overseas manufacturing and got quite a few samples made up and just was not happy with like any of them.
• 10:05
  SPEAKER_01: I just had issues with like language barriers and also the fact that it's shipping from like all over the place and the shipping was expensive and all of those things.
• 10:14
  SPEAKER_01: And I just didn't like that I couldn't have my hands in it.
• 10:18
  SPEAKER_01: Like I was like, this is fine, but this needs tweaking, and I really wanted it to be perfect, not just like another something that you could get anywhere else type of thing.
• 10:27
  SPEAKER_01: And so then when we found out I was pregnant with my third, I actually met a girl, a local girl here who um she has a clothing, like a kid's clothing.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_01: It's called Peanut and Bumble.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: They're super sweet, but I ended up taking her out for coffee and I was like, Can I just pick your brain on all things?
• 10:46
  SPEAKER_01: And so she actually uses local seamstresses.
• 10:49
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, okay, maybe I could do that instead, right?
• 10:53
  SPEAKER_01: And so that was a whole so like finding the design is kind of challenging and tweet, and you have to kind of tweak things.
• 11:01
  SPEAKER_01: And then also finding the seamstress took a long time because finding someone that like I could trust, first off, someone that would do it well.
• 11:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like I wanted these, like the clothes to be store quality, you know, like they're not just it's not a five-dollar t-shirt, you know, there's like a lot that goes into it.
• 11:19
  SPEAKER_01: It's good quality, good materials, hand like locally hand sewn.
• 11:23
  SPEAKER_01: Now, like I said, all clothing is hand sewn, but it's like locally made, not with like big commercial machines and things.
• 11:30
  SPEAKER_01: So, anyways, that took a long time.
• 11:32
  SPEAKER_01: But then when I finally found I have two seamstresses now, and working with them has been awesome because I'm like, hey, I want this just slightly lower.
• 11:42
  SPEAKER_01: I want this to be slightly different and like they're able to do it versus talking to someone overseas, getting a whole nother sample, having to wait all the time to get it shipped, all those things.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_01: I just feel like I can have more of my hand in the small little tweaks and changes to make something perfect.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_01: But that takes, it does take a long time.
• 12:03
  SPEAKER_01: But it is like it's it's good to have, like, I like working with the local seamstresses a little bit better in that aspect.
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I think we're coming to a place where a lot of us are understanding more about fast fashion and all the implications of getting something quickly and cheap.
• 12:23
  SPEAKER_00: And that it's not just totally uh the like the product being high quality, it's also the shipping that like takes forever and adds to our our global warming issues, all of that.
• 12:39
  SPEAKER_00: I think we're all starting to become that.
• 12:42
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 12:43
  SPEAKER_00: And so I think, and then as you become a mom, I was already someone who was like kind of crunchy to begin with.
• 12:51
  SPEAKER_00: And then having a kid, I was like, well, now I feel this doubly so like I want to be putting things on my tiny baby's body that are like not harmful.
• 13:03
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that a lot of people experience that as well.
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: And I love that you have really prioritized going local, although it's always gonna be more expensive, it's always gonna be a little higher ticket price.
• 13:16
  SPEAKER_00: But I think once you realize the impact of local natural fibers, it can make a huge difference.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: What are things that you have seen, both challenges and positives of using local seamstresses?
• 13:31
  SPEAKER_00: Obviously, you said that you in the beginning you were like, I don't think I can afford this.
• 13:34
  SPEAKER_00: And then also prioritizing like good quality fabrics.
• 13:40
  SPEAKER_00: What have been like the push and pull of that for you?
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 13:43
  SPEAKER_01: It's so, I mean, I guess kind of one thing about doing it locally is that it's a lot more effort on the front end, right?
• 13:52
  SPEAKER_01: Like the sourcing of the fabric, the design, all of those things is a lot more front-end work versus having a manufacturer to do it all for you.
• 14:01
  SPEAKER_01: And I guess that's maybe why the manufacturers are more expensive, is because they do way more work, right?
• 14:08
  SPEAKER_01: I definitely just spent a lot of time researching a lot of things.
• 14:13
  SPEAKER_01: Like a lot of time just like Googling and re-googling and looking at different things and you know, different like like fabric suppliers.
• 14:21
  SPEAKER_01: A lot come from like the states or overseas.
• 14:25
  SPEAKER_01: And so like I was like, okay, is there a Canadian company that I can work with?
• 14:30
  SPEAKER_01: And I did find a couple.
• 14:32
  SPEAKER_01: I kind of do a mixture of where I get my fabrics from, but I am trying to look more for organic cotton that also has like a Goths or Okitec certification to it, too, because I think that those are important also.
• 14:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like organic cotton is good, but then to have like a certification on top of it.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_01: So so organic cotton was really important to me, but then I've also been moving towards trying to find fabrics, organic organic cotton or linen.
• 15:01
  SPEAKER_01: I do love linen too.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_01: It's just a little bit more expensive.
• 15:03
  SPEAKER_01: But I've been really trying to find more organic cotton that has like a Goth certification or an Okatex certification.
• 15:10
  SPEAKER_01: I have, I just did an a post on like kind of the differences between conventional cotton, organic cotton, and then the two certifications, also.
• 15:18
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I think that that's something that I don't know.
• 15:21
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's just important to like I personally, like you said, am a little bit more crunchy, especially when it comes to clothing, because we literally wear it all the time, you know, like we're like we live in it.
• 15:34
  SPEAKER_01: So I think that what you put on your body matters.
• 15:37
  SPEAKER_01: And then also I think too, if what when I'm concerned about what I put on my body, and then if I'm gonna have my baby like right beside something, like their face right beside a material, I also want that material not to be, you know, toxic to them.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and I think that they're like while it might not seem like it, I think it's kind of like prioritizing the fabrics that you wear, especially as in like a new postpartum mom, I feel like is your first active like self-care of like uh when I became a mom, I was like, okay, I have to make sure that the things I'm putting on my baby are like safe and healthy.
• 16:17
  SPEAKER_00: But I never really had that consideration for myself.
• 16:20
  SPEAKER_00: So I feel like the the product you're making is kind of allowing us to give ourselves that first act of caring, whether it is through pregnancy or postpartum or all the above, it is like giving us the permission to be like, okay, take care of yourself a little, like choose a fabric that feels right for you.
• 16:41
  SPEAKER_00: What do you see in terms of, like you said, you you tested things on yourself.
• 16:45
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sure you talked to a ton of other people as well.
• 16:48
  SPEAKER_00: What were some of the things that were important to you to integrate into your brand and products when it came to functionality, deciding what things were like?
• 16:59
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, this is no, this is not.
• 17:01
  SPEAKER_00: You talked about like changing something subtly to make them more comfortable.
• 17:05
  SPEAKER_00: Tell me that process.
• 17:07
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so that is interesting.
• 17:09
  SPEAKER_01: There was quite a few things that I changed.
• 17:11
  SPEAKER_01: So, like one big thing, well, I mean, this was uh I guess maybe a little thing, but I was working with a a seamstress and I had thought I had ordered a zipper color and I had just kind of given it to her, and I didn't check that the zipper actually matched, and it's like just slightly a different color.
• 17:30
  SPEAKER_01: So like the zipper color was slightly a different color than the fabric.
• 17:35
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of people that I talked to were like, oh, we don't even notice it's not even a big deal.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_01: But to me, I was like, that's I can't do that.
• 17:42
  SPEAKER_01: So I actually have them as like my they're kind of like on our website as a sample sale because I was like, I don't, they're not, they're not up to standard.
• 17:51
  SPEAKER_01: You know what I mean?
• 17:52
  SPEAKER_01: So then I was that was one thing I was like, I had to change.
• 17:54
  SPEAKER_01: Another thing was that the kind of first round of dresses, the zipper was like here, it was a little bit higher.
• 18:03
  SPEAKER_01: And one thing was like just some feedback was like, Oh, I would love the zipper to be a little bit lower so that you could like open, you could zip it kind of a little bit lower to fully come out.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so that was something that would change.
• 18:17
  SPEAKER_01: I lowered the zipper like an inch on now, everything is like that.
• 18:22
  SPEAKER_01: So, like things like that.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_01: Like my first round, I didn't add pockets to any dresses.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_01: And I was like, I'm a mom.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: Like I literally like never have like I have like I'm usually carrying two out of three children with me.
• 18:36
  SPEAKER_01: Like, why did I not put pockets in my dresses?
• 18:39
  SPEAKER_01: So now all of the pockets have all of the dresses have pockets now.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: But like I was like, that was why did I do that?
• 18:45
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, certain things like that that I feel like just changes.
• 18:49
  SPEAKER_01: One thing that um I think in the design process was I mean, the the main thing probably is like room for a belly, right?
• 18:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like a pregnant belly or just a postpartum belly, and then also bigger bust, like room for bigger busts, because most of the time when you have milk, like I had nothing before.
• 19:11
  SPEAKER_01: And then when I started pro like breastfeeding, I was like, I have boobs, this is great.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_01: A lot of shirts fit me differently now because of that, you know?
• 19:18
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think that that was one thing that I was like, oh yeah, I need to like I because I think you're when you're pregnant, your bust gets a little bit bigger, but then when you actually start breastfeeding and your milk comes in, then you're like, whoa, this is crazy.
• 19:33
  SPEAKER_01: And so I feel like adjusting, like having that be like part of the design is like, hey, we need to make sure that there's room for when your milk comes in type of thing.
• 19:43
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: And I love that.
• 19:45
  SPEAKER_00: I think you until you like every pregnancy is different and what your body is gonna look like and shape like when you're pregnant, and then postpartum is also different.
• 19:54
  SPEAKER_00: I love that you're kind of prioritizing the versatility of pregnancy, early motherhood, late postpartum, all of it.
• 20:04
  SPEAKER_00: And um, I would love to know what um impact you have seen from your customers and feedback that you've gotten on how your clothing and company has kind of changed things for them in their pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond.
• 21:00
  SPEAKER_01: Totally.
• 21:01
  SPEAKER_01: That's a great question.
• 21:02
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, I would say the biggest thing is just kind of what I talked about is like the feeling beautiful, but then also like just the functionality of how easy, how easy it is to like nurse on the go, not needing like a blanket or not needing this and like having to unzip or unflap or all of these things, you know, because I think a lot of like designs, like breastfeeding friendly shirts, are very like you gotta move this and then move that and then move that and move this, you know, like that's there's a lot to them.
• 21:33
  SPEAKER_01: And so I feel like just the simplicity of like zip pop, you know, kind of thing.
• 21:39
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think that, and then also, yeah, just like the the be like feeling beautiful, like feeling pretty, like feeling kind of like girly again, you know.
• 21:48
  SPEAKER_01: I think that's been a big feedback and just like comfortable.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: I just did a photo shoot for our new line that's coming out, and like the one comment that I got from all of like the models were like, I'm so comfortable.
• 22:02
  SPEAKER_01: Like I'm in a dress and I'm so comfortable, you know.
• 22:05
  SPEAKER_01: And I sometimes I think like people are like, oh, dresses are not comfortable.
• 22:09
  SPEAKER_01: Like, why would you wear dresses all the time?
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm like, I feel the most comfortable in dresses, but mainly because I don't like anything tighter on my belly, you know.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_01: Like I think after having, I mean, I don't think jeans, jeans are have never been comfortable.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_01: But then especially when you have a postpartum belly, like they're definitely not comfortable.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_01: And I don't want something cutting me off and like, you know, so I'm like, I love wearing dresses because it just is the most comfortable.
• 22:34
  SPEAKER_01: But I understand maybe not everybody likes wearing dresses.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_01: All the time, but that was the one com comment that I got was like how comfortable the dresses are, and I think that that's yeah, I think that's huge.
• 22:46
  SPEAKER_01: I think like this is kind of a side trail, but like I think when you're like newly postpartum, especially if it's your first time breastfeeding, like it's all like there's it's already hard enough, you know what I mean?
• 22:59
  SPEAKER_01: Like I had such a hard time breastfeeding my first.
• 23:01
  SPEAKER_01: She did not want to latch, she did not eat, like we had to like I had to pump and then like feed her with a syringe.
• 23:08
  SPEAKER_01: Like it was just like like a a little, not like a like a needle syringe, like a little, like you know, like the ones for claustrophobic.
• 23:15
  SPEAKER_01: But it was like so hard.
• 23:16
  SPEAKER_01: And I I th I think I just kept I kept thinking to myself when I was m designing these, like, I don't want to make it harder.
• 23:23
  SPEAKER_01: I want to make it easier.
• 23:24
  SPEAKER_01: Like breastfeeding is already like some women, it's totally like totally great, and it's just some like just take it and the babies just latch and it's great, but some it's harder, and it's like I think every baby is different.
• 23:38
  SPEAKER_01: They're obviously learning how to breastfeed for the first time too.
• 23:41
  SPEAKER_01: Like they're learning how to latch.
• 23:42
  SPEAKER_01: They've never really done it before.
• 23:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so it's like, I think it's so hard already that I just wanted to make it easier, you know.
• 23:51
  SPEAKER_01: Like you shouldn't, when you go out in public, it's like you don't want to, like it's already stressful.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: You're already kind of worried about people judging you.
• 23:58
  SPEAKER_01: You're already kind of worried about it, you know, is my baby just gonna pop off and I'm gonna flash everybody?
• 24:04
  SPEAKER_01: Like, are they even gonna latch?
• 24:05
  SPEAKER_01: Are they gonna eat well?
• 24:06
  SPEAKER_01: You know, all of those things.
• 24:07
  SPEAKER_01: You're already worried about those things.
• 24:09
  SPEAKER_01: It's like you don't need to add in another step of all of this complicated clothing or like not knowing what to wear or just throwing something on that's like you're like, okay, I'll try to make this work.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, I I feel like my breastfeeding journey with my first was was challenging.
• 24:28
  SPEAKER_01: And so that's kind of also why I wanted to make the clothing aspect easier, if that makes sense.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: So tell me more about what you guys have coming up, what's going on for Holly Rose Co.
• 24:41
  SPEAKER_00: Um, tell me everything.
• 24:44
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, so it has been a process.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_01: I have like the one style right now that has been great, and I love that style.
• 24:55
  SPEAKER_01: I've been really trying to work on um a second style.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_01: And so that process has been, oh my goodness, just a lot.
• 25:06
  SPEAKER_01: Trying to figure out like I like I said, I just want it to be perfect, right?
• 25:10
  SPEAKER_01: So it's like I'm really trying to work on, um yeah, I I was hoping to be like launched.
• 25:18
  SPEAKER_01: It's our spring summer collection and it's July, so we're kind of out of spring, so it's gonna be our summer collection.
• 25:25
  SPEAKER_01: Um, and I was, yeah, hoping to be launched by like May.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_01: And it's been yeah, it's been an interesting thing to kind of just like work through different things.
• 25:38
  SPEAKER_01: And I had kind of planned for like a shirt, and then I just like I just wasn't happy with it.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_01: And also my seamstresses hated making it.
• 25:46
  SPEAKER_01: Like it was really challenging to construct, and so I was like, okay, well, let's let's pivot.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_01: And I think it's interesting, my husband uh like had read this book, and there's this term, it's like this is a different word, but like poop shoveling, like you're like poop shoveling a list.
• 26:02
  SPEAKER_01: So like it's just like all of these things that like you just kind of have to like, okay, like you don't want to do it, like you don't wanna, you don't wanna do this, but like you kind of have to pivot and you have to pivot and you have a pivot.
• 26:12
  SPEAKER_01: And I feel like a lot of my business journey has been like, okay, end pivot, okay, and pivot, okay, and pivot.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_01: And a lot of like fires to put out.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_01: So it's been like, yeah, it's been really interesting to I've learned a lot, I'll say.
• 26:28
  SPEAKER_01: I've learned a lot.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_01: And uh yeah, I so with this summer, summer collection, I have learned also to plan a lot earlier, like plan more in advance.
• 26:40
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm gonna take that as a learning, learning curve and move forward from that.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_01: But yeah, so we have I have the two new fabrics.
• 26:50
  SPEAKER_01: So one is actually this like green gingham that I have on.
• 26:54
  SPEAKER_01: This is actually going the style, also, like the new style that I have coming out.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: So it's kind of gonna be a little bit like shift dress, I think is what they call it.
• 27:04
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm hoping for like a shirt and skirt set, and then also a dress.
• 27:10
  SPEAKER_01: But it's uh yes, still in the works right now.
• 27:14
  SPEAKER_01: But I have so this the green like gingham fabric is got certified, and then I have like a yellow floral fabric fabric that's Oka Tech certified.
• 27:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm still looking for one that is like both of those, because that would all be awesome.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: But I'm happy to find like one or the other two.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: So the other thing, I guess, too, that we have this is actually, I think, something that's interesting with like kind of doing everything local, is that like I actually get all of the scrap fabric.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: And so I kind of have been doing some fun things with it.
• 27:48
  SPEAKER_01: Like we made scrunchies with all of the scraps, and then we also have uh I kind of teamed up with like a local girl who makes bags, like quilted bags, and so I made actually like a minimalist kind of diaper bag with all of the scrap fabrics, so they will they kind of they match whatever dress that you have on, type of thing, which is kind of fun because I think a lot of like when you look at fast fashion, like a lot of textile waste, like it's it's huge.
• 28:16
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think what's kind of fun to be it's kind of fun to be able to minimize that by also making something new.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_01: So I think yeah, the bags are really fun.
• 28:27
  SPEAKER_01: Um I am kind of I don't know what kind of mom you are when you first had like, did you pack like the diaper bag like full to the brim?
• 28:36
  SPEAKER_00: I did have a lot of stuff in the very beginning, but it only took me a couple months to like this is the bare minimum of what I need.
• 28:45
  SPEAKER_01: Yes, yes, same.
• 28:47
  SPEAKER_01: Like the newborn phase, yeah, you need like three outfits, you need like 27 diapers totally.
• 28:54
  SPEAKER_01: But then when you get out, I'm kind of the like, okay, I have snacks, I have a diaper, I have wipes, I'm good to go.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_01: So these these bags are kind of like more of the minimalist style, which is kind of fun that you don't look because I don't take my diaper bag anywhere anymore.
• 29:09
  SPEAKER_01: I just have like a purse and I just have I think as long as I have snacks and a diaper, like I'm probably gonna be fine, is kind of my mindset.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, you get there after three.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, yeah.
• 29:22
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_01: Hopefully, yeah.
• 29:24
  SPEAKER_00: Well, tell me where people can find you, where they can purchase from a Holly Rose Co.
• 29:30
  SPEAKER_00: website, social media, all the things.
• 29:34
  SPEAKER_01: Totally, yeah.
• 29:35
  SPEAKER_01: So we're on Instagram, holly rose underscore co and then hollyroseco.ca is our website.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_01: And get a lot of questions too about like sizing.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_01: So if there's any ever questions about sizing or which size, it's kind of weird, but I usually get people to send me a picture of themselves, and then I can kind of like guess what size you are based on how you look, which I the first time I did that, I was like, this is kind of creepy, but at the same time, I will be able to help you better.
• 30:06
  SPEAKER_01: And it ended up working.
• 30:08
  SPEAKER_01: It's it's worked every single time.
• 30:09
  SPEAKER_01: So it's I'm kind of getting okay with like this is this is your size, this is your size, this is your size.
• 30:16
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah.
• 30:18
  SPEAKER_00: Um, thank you so much for your time.
• 30:20
  SPEAKER_00: This has been so fun.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_00: I love the work that you're doing and excited to share.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_00: Um thank you so much for having me.
• 30:27
  SPEAKER_00: It's been awesome.