The Mother’s New Outfit
Actor Alia Bhatt’s newest venture in the clothing space will offer stylish and sustainable maternity wear
BOLLYWOOD STAR Alia Bhatt, who launched a conscious kids’ clothing brand Ed-a-Mamma in 2020, has extended the brand offering to include maternity wear. The 29-year-old actor, who is expecting her first child, says the idea to launch maternity wear came about organically. “I woke up one day realising that pretty soon my wardrobe is going to need to change. But your sense of style doesn’t change just because your size is going to change. I found that there were not enough options for maternity wear, while still maintaining that sort of young, vibrant style that I connect with.”
The range, which was launched on October 14, is currently available on the company’s website and e-commerce platforms Myntra and Tata CLiQ. With a focus on sustainability, it has been developed using natural, breathable fabrics such as cotton, linen and viscose, with the buttons being made from wood and coconut shells.
Bhatt says that she wants to make the brand a holistic one, where a pregnant woman shops for herself and then for her infants, kids and teenagers. “We have kids and maternity, and then we will launch infant [wear] and hopefully even [for] teens because that’s something I am very excited about,” says Bhatt. Currently, the kids’ range caters to the 2-14-year age group. This year, the brand went offline and is available across 40 Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop outlets. The brand is named after Bhatt’s cat Edward and is a play on her being Edward’s mother.
“It’s a smart move to build a fashion brand that you can grow by catering to different categories. Better to do it slowly instead of going very aggressive,” says Harminder Sahni, Founder and MD of consultancy Wazir Advisors. While the kidswear market has a lot of potential since it is primarily unorganised, it is tricky, he says, adding that people are not that brand conscious when it comes to their kids.
Per a report by market research firm The Insight Partners, the global maternity wear market was pegged at $12.25 billion in 2021 and is likely to grow to $16.50 billion by 2028. Iffat Haider Jivan, Business Head of Ed-a-Mamma Maternity Wear, says the size of the market in India is currently pegged at `2,000 crore.
Bhatt is also a savvy investor, having invested in multi-channel fashion retailer Nykaa and more recently Phool.co—a start-up that collects flowers from across temples in India and creates incense sticks, essential oils, decor, etc. “When I’m investing in a company, I’m investing in the idea and the people and their vision,” she says. Even as a businesswoman, Bhatt is charting her own path.