Maternity label Soon's new birth

Melbourne: The maternity fashion market has long been associated with passé design, but mums-to-be don't have to turn their backs on the latest trends, thanks to the birth of contemporary maternity wear label Soon.
The brainchild of RMIT fashion graduate Jenni O'Callaghan and business partner Jane Gonzales, Soon evolved after expectant style-conscious friends alluded to a gap in the clothing market. Confirmed by further research, O'Callaghan found a real lack of trend led styles for fashion savvy shoppers.
"Our pregnant friends and family around us were all calling out for something comfortable but stylish to wear. Soon's flexibility appeals to the modern mum-to-be who doesn't want to sacrifice her sophisticated style at her most beautiful time and is reluctant to purchase garments that will become obsolete after the birth."
Drawing on industry experience at Globe International streetwear brand
Mooks, where the pair met five years ago, O'Callaghan and Gonzales have
developed a niche label that responds to the challenges and expenses of pregnancy.
Retailing from $49.95 for a basic T-shirt, $189 for denim and $129.95 for dresses, the stylish investment pieces can be worn long after the birth. O'Callaghan's feels her innovative design approach is attributed to clever cuts and expandable fabrics.
"Basic and longer styles pull in and sit under the stomach. When you don't have a belly they sit flat to the stomach so you don't have an a-line tent shape. Denim styles have button hole taping at the back of the waistband which extends with the elastic releasing hole by hole. My business partner and I wear most of the range all the time and we've never been pregnant."
The collection encapsulates a vintage feel mixed with a current fashion focus. Autumn 06 designs include a rope yarn cardigan and wrap in black and natural, stretch bootleg jeans, cargo's in black and green and raglan sleeve wool basics in black, nude and berry with three neck shapes. For evening try a sequin kaftan or rayon spandex wrap dresses teamed with a leather wrap belt.
Stocked in 42 maternity and womenswear boutiques across Australia, Soon will also be available in New Zealand from autumn 06.