Dressing Up The Bump

Like many start-ups, Stillen was founded to solve a problem. When Singaporean banker LISA CHONG was pregnant and nursing, she couldn’t find suitable maternity workwear that looked professional for her job. She launched her fashion brand Stillen to fill that gap. We chat with the inspiring founder and designer to find out more.

- Lisa Chong

Tell us the story behind Stillen.

About two years after my youngest son was born, I fell into a midlife crisis. As much as I loved being a mum, I felt like I had lost a big piece of myself in the midst of motherhood. My daily life was all about work and the kids. My first year at work after maternity leave was always a mad rush. I missed many lunchtime conversations with colleagues as I had to express breastmilk during lunch hours. After work, I had to rush home to pick up the kids and latch the baby. Motherhood was lonely as I felt like I couldn’t take time off for myself. Talk about mum guilt!

One day, after feeling overwhelmed from work and family, I decided I needed to do something for myself before my mental health took a further toll. My husband was supportive, so I began taking time off now and then from work and mummy duties for things I used to love, such as baking, sewing and singing.

It was through one of those night sewing classes that my love for fashion was rekindled. One of the classes required us to conceptualise a brand and I remembered my struggle of finding suitable maternity workwear for my role in the banking industry. The choices available were mostly casual in style and many maternity labels were suitable either for pregnancy or nursing, which meant the clothing had a limited lifespan. Nursing wear often had a band under the bust line, which to me felt frumpy for work. So I began conceptualising a brand that would bridge this gap for expecting mums in a professional or client-facing role.