MY DRESS
Eight months ago, I received an exciting phone call from a fashion company in Hong Kong, asking if I would be interested in designing pieces of clothing for them. I was completely in shock. Many questions quickly ran through my mind like…How they did find me? Am I qualified to design anything other than my kids’ schedules for the day? Will I have time for a fashion project like this with three little ones (ages six, three and one) under my roof? I immediately quieted these questions in my head and listened to what the company had to share. Mayarya (you can shop the dress here) designs and sells maternity and nursing pieces and had somehow found out about GirlPlusTwo, liked my style, and were now looking to me, little old Dikla Goren in New York, for fashion inspiration. It was so flattering and no matter how many of the aforementioned questions I was dying to get answers to in the moment, I knew that I couldn’t pass this opportunity up. I was finally being given the kind of project I’ve always dreamed of having –this was one of those once-in-a-lifetime calls you only hear about, except it was real and it was happening to me. This was my shot to explore the fashion avenue in a whole new way.
All of my friends and followers know that I love flowy dresses. I’ve always thought they’re beautiful, giving, and can be dressed up or down no matter the occasion. So, when asked to design a piece for Mayarya, I knew immediately that it was going to be a dress with a lot of fabric. My pregnancy was filled with flowy pieces – ones that were not even necessarily maternity pieces – practically until I gave birth. The look inspired me in my designs and I knew a comfortable, stylish flowy dress was the way to go.
My goal in designing for Mayarya was to create a dress, one that can specifically be worn day or night, pre and post-pregnancy, and is just as stylish when worn with sneakers or high heels. Basically, I wanted to offer mamas the type of piece that one can look and feel sexy in, no matter where you are or what you’re doing. And, best of all, the pieces are giving enough for those during pregnancy or just post-pregnancy. How great is that?! It’s like a catch-all sexy dress, intended for mamas and mamas-to-be. During the design process, I kept thinking about how important it was for me to show the world that pregnancy dresses can look really good – they don’t have to be frumpy or oversized to the max. I felt like I made do with the fashion market during my pregnancy, but I still wanted to help create a piece, a must-have dress, that gives pregnant mamas the feeling that they are still so very sexy, even at eight or nine months when the last word they’d ever use to describe themselves is sexy. Hey, maybe I’ve started a trend that other companies can now follow!
Comfort also played a large role in my design process, and is an aspect of fashion that should never be forgotten when buying clothes (or if you have the opportunity to design!). Sure, I wanted to design a cute, sexy dress that fit many stages of pregnancy and post-pregnancy. But, I also wanted this piece to be comfortable and wearable time and time again. I wanted to achieve comfort while still remaining loyal to myself and my fashion sense. It was very important to me to design a piece that was truly wearable day in and day out. I hope I accomplished this, though you all will have to put my piece to the real test!
Fast forward to three weeks ago – a FedEx package arrived from Asia, the contents of which were the sample sale item from the company bearing my design. The item I designed is now up for sale on their website! Let’s just say that when I received the sample piece in the mail, I didn’t take it off for days! But really .
Since the piece has been on the market, many buyers have inquired as to the best way to wear this dress and style the piece. My go-to answer is always this: during the day, I’d pair with white sneakers (either my Adidas and high-top Chucks) and at night, I’d pair with buckle booties, like my favorites from Toga pula. These are only suggestions though, and I’d love to hear from all of you what you think of the design and how you’d dress it up or down! You know me- I love a piece with a ton of utility, and the more ways I learn to wear the garment, the more I love the piece. Let me know what you think!
Neshikot= XX
