Accouchee

It all started with me becoming a mom. After 15 years in corporate life, having worked for the European Investment Bank, GE, Accenture and Vitol, I gave birth to my son. I loved being a mom but I was not the same anymore! On one hand, motherhood was constraining and energy consuming. On the other hand, it awakened the most creative and productive version of me. My experience as a mother, as well as a statistic I read by the World Economic Forum in 2018, served as the inspiration and a foundation for the brand. According to World Economic Forum’s 2018 Gender Gap Report, every year 130 million women give birth. 43% of them quit their jobs afterwards, and 60% of those who quit regret. When asked “Why do you quit?”, they answer “Because there is a stigma against new moms, it is difficult to pump at work, and there is no maternity wear for business environment”. I decided not to be a brand; but a voice. I wanted to stand for all women who choose to sustain their pre-birth selves. As a simple yet effective solution, we started selling clothes designed for nursing and beyond. Accouchée was established as a premium maternity wear for moms with active social and professional lives. In less than two years, as a fresh brand we reached more than 3000 women, from different professions or backgrounds. Accouchée was selected by the US Department of State as 50 startups to be supported for a better world. I was invited by Mrs Blair to showcase Accouchée in the World Economic Forum 2020 in Davos. I was invited by UN Women to present Accouchée for Gender Equality. We keep standing for our dream of a world where nursing moms aren’t confined into their homes or nursing rooms, hoping to inspire women to take a stance against the norm and make a statement.