Experiencing discomfort during pregnancy, Rosemary Powell struggled to find a pregnancy pillow that was both comfortable and affordable, so decided to make her own. This was the beginning of a new business venture and following the success of their Body Pillow and Maternity range, The Dressmaker Hawkes Bay launched online. With over 15 years experience in pattern making, fashion design, sewing and alterations, their range has expanded to include clothing and accessories and a gorgeous nursery collection. Here, Rosemary talks to The Natural Parent Magazine about her business journey so far and her hopes and dreams for the future.
The passion: What inspired you to set up your business?
I got pregnant with my son Joshua, and was getting uncomfortable when it came to the middle of my 2nd trimester. I looked for pregnancy pillows that weren’t too big or too expensive – no luck! So I fired up my sewing machine, made my own and realised that there were so many other mums-to-be that needed this too! From that point, I then expanded to my current range of products by listening to my customers and seeing what they needed!
The launch: How did you start out in the beginning?
I started by selling pillows on Marketplace on Facebook, then branched out to trademe with not much success. A lot of it was trial and error, and it still is!
The innovation: What was the biggest breakthrough for you with your business?
Discovering Marketplace, keeping the price point reasonable and believing in the products I make really were the breakthroughs for me so far.
