Irish Design Spotlight: The Divine

I first came up with the concept for The Divine while pregnant with my son Luca in 2022. I found it extremely difficult to find maternity clothes that suited my style and didn’t make me feel like a matron! I also felt that most available options were limited to fast fashion chains, which I wanted to try and avoid. Through my work in web development, I’ve helped many clients over the years set up their e-commerce stores, so I decided to give it a go myself!The Divine offers a curated collection of maternity clothing and well-being products to inspire you to feel sexy, playful, and above all, like yourself – throughout your pregnancy and beyond. We solely focus on mothers (no baby grows in sight in our store!) and help them embrace their style and boost their confidence as their body changes. The brands we stock all share our sustainable and ethical values and we’re proud to be the first Irish retailer for Boob Design and Tilbea London. We also proudly stock a number of small Irish brands, such as AromaBump and Dublin Herbalists.

What is your mission?
My mission is to help you feel like you throughout and after your pregnancy.

Did you always know you wanted to be a designer/boutique owner?
Not at all! Having worked for myself on and off since leaving university in 2014, I’ve always had quite an entrepreneurial spirit, so it’s not surprising at the same time. But I didn’t have ‘online boutique owner’ on my vision board! I remember complaining to my partner Dean while searching endlessly online for a dress to wear to a wedding while pregnant and I kept jokingly saying ‘I should just open my own maternity boutique!’… and then the idea just stuck with me and I started doing market research. From there, I continued to work on it throughout my pregnancy and maternity leave, finally launching when my baby was five months old. 

What kind of items do you stock?
Our clothing range has a bit of everything that you might need for your maternity wardrobe. We have everyday wardrobe essentials like leggings, bras, t-shirts and jumpers. And we also have more glam dresses and jumpsuits. The majority of our pieces are suitable for pregnancy and postpartum and include clever features like hidden nursing access. We really want you to get as much wear out of our pieces as possible, and it’s important to us that you’ll be able to wear them for longer than nine months.  We also stock well-being products, such as skincare, bump care, crystals and candles. All of our well-being suppliers are Irish and are all safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

What new brands or items are on your radar?
It’s not maternity wear, but I’m really loving Pellador FC and their range of knitwear. It’s also a fellow Limerick-founded company. They’re absolutely killing it with their marketing campaigns as well.

Was money/funding a concern when starting out?
Yes, it definitely was. At the start, I chose to apply for a business loan with an Irish bank and the whole process was really difficult. I was rejected due to being pregnant and possibly needing to take maternity leave – which was quite a bit of a knockback. It was a really unpleasant experience, which I didn’t envision at all. However, I ended up getting backing from Microfinance Ireland and they were so lovely to deal with and extremely supportive of my vision for the business.

Best business advice you’ve gotten
“Blinkers on and stay in your own lane.” I’ve no idea who gave that advice to me, but it’s something I always stick by! I try not to look at what other people are doing or get myself into a comparison trap.

Favourite fashion/design accounts you follow
Sorcha O’Raghallaigh, Stella Morais, Dressed in LALA, Never Fully Dressed.

Best fashion purchase
A vintage Levi’s jacket I purchased recently from The Edge in Limerick.

Other Irish brands you love
Aoife Ireland, Pellador, Rashhiiid.

Most useful learning since setting up a business
To have patience. It takes time to build a business and to get the word out there. It’s important to be in it for the long haul and not throw in the towel prematurely.

Proudest moment so far
Packing my first orders while my baby played on his playmat beside me!

I want my brand to be remembered for… changing the maternity wear landscape in Ireland.

If I could have anyone wear my designs it would be… the sexy, cool, sassy pregnant women of Ireland!

Imagery provided by Leah Morgan