Rachel Bloom / La Fee Noire maternity clothes (feature)

Lots of women muddle through pregnancy with mismatched hand-me-downs or something from a predictable babywear catalogue. That wasn’t a solution that 39-year-old Rachel Bloom from Exeter was willing to accept.

“I found I couldn’t continue my own style when I was pregnant, which really bothered me,” said Rachel, a gal who likes to dress up. (“I don’t go overboard, but I like to feel like I’ve made an effort.”)

None of the standard babywear catalogues such as Blooming Marvellous had anything she liked: Rachel wanted something dressier, or “bold and sexy”; for casual days she wanted to feel a little rock ’n’ roll.

So, she researched it, and the more clothes she found, the more she realised that there was a community of pregnant stylistas in her situation. Clearly there was a gap in the market, and this ex-headhunter and retailer knew what to do. She started a website called La Fee Noire.

“My clothes are well priced and a bit different,” she said.

“I have swimwear in animal print. I have lingerie for pregnant brides. I carry jeans, but some of them I customise” (a patch on the leg bears the company’s trademark fuscia and black colours) “and also with black sequins, or beads, or braid.

“I don’t accept that you can’t continue your style when you’re pregnant. I also think, why can’t I wear this after I’ve had the baby? There’s no reason to stop shopping for clothes you like.”

Broadening her search wider than just maternity wear, Rachel selected clothes with mojo. She carries a range of chiffon style dresses, tops and bottoms, swimwear, lingerie, and funky rock-style clothes for both mum and baby from a company called Mummadiva (the baby range is Babydiva).

As the clothes weren’t necessarily maternity wear, Rachel found she had an unexpected consumer group who were feeling her groove.

“I have a lot of plus-size women who like my site, which is great,” she said.

“In a way the fact that they’re not necessarily pregnant proves my point about style.”

Rachel is also passionate about buying local: she stocks Westcountry lines such as Beaming Baby from Totnes and Ashburton-based Gro Bag and Belly Belt.

As if all this entrepreneurship were not enough, Rachel has another string to her bow: she designed a special device which she calls the Hug-a-Bump.

“I was in terrible discomfort when I was pregnant with Thea,” said Rachel.

Like many women, Rachel had fibroids, which are typically benign growths in the uterus. In Rachel’s case, one fibroid grew to a large size and was inoperable.

“I literally had to carry my bump around,” said Rachel. “People would ask me: why are you holding it? It was just excruciating.”

Rachel looked long and hard for a comfortable, adjustable device that offered her body some support, but couldn’t find one. So, she designed one, which met with a physiotherapist’s approval.

“I wanted it to support both the bump, but also the pelvis and lower back,” she said.

Now through her first pregnancy and safely out the other side, Rachel runs her business from home with daughter Thea toddling at her feet. Like many, she juggles work and family, but she likes keeping busy.

It probably won’t surprise you to know that Rachel, who taught herself HTML, is also an artist. She designed her own logo: La Fee Noire, the black fairy.

“It’s something a little different,” said Rachel. It’s fun and funky, like her clothes.

Rachel’s website is www.lafeenoire.com

GILLIAN MOLESWORTH

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