Q&A with
Rebecca Matthias,
President & Chief Creative Officer,
A Pea in the Pod,
Motherhood &
Mimi Maternity

What is your background in maternity fashion?

I started Mothers Work in 1982 as a small catalog catering for pregnant women needing to dress for the office. At the time, that described me! My background was in architecture and civil engineering, so although I had design experience, it wasn't in the apparel industry. However, since I couldn't find any stylish or career clothes in the maternity stores I visited, I decided to design my own. Since then my company has grown to be the leader in the maternity industry with over 1,000 locations and stores in every state, plus Canada and Puerto Rico. With three major brands, A Pea in the Pod, Mimi Maternity, and Motherhood Maternity, we are the largest maternity company in the world.

What makes A Pea in the Pod, Motherhood and Mimi Maternity different from other maternity clothing lines? 

Simply put, we have a larger assortment, more style, innovative products, and a wider range of prices than any other maternity company. Our stores are the only national specialty apparel retail chains catering solely to pregnant women. The larger competitors all carry maternity as a small department within their multiple lines of other products. We have dedicated the resources and the talent to constantly design new merchandise that fits the pregnant body, and has all the style and fashion you might find in any other women's non-maternity store in the mall. We are truly The Maternity Authority.

When were the lines first created? Have they changed much since they first came out?

All the brands have been around since the early '80s or before. We are constantly updating them with new styles and ideas. Our designers and merchants travel the world in search of ideas, and we source our merchandise in over 20 countries. Each brand is geared towards serving the entire lifestyle of its customers, for all uses, including day, evening, career, casual, and dressy. A Pea in the Pod dresses the pregnant celebrities, Mimi is a contemporary middle priced brand, and Motherhood is the best price, best fashion, biggest assortment brand with everyday low prices that are unbeatable.