How Swedish brand Ilouity is reinventing maternity style, one pair of jeans at a time

Many have tried to make maternity clothes ‘chic’, few have succeeded in creating something that caters for the comfort levels of a pregnant woman without compromising on style. Swedish denim brand Ilouity is among those who are getting it right. Launched in 2021 by Stockholm-based founders and friends Fanny Herngren Rosén and Asli Tunhammar, Ilouity is on a mission to create the perfect pregnancy closet, and as it turns out, they have made a pretty good start in their first two years in business.

Tunhammar, who is of Turkish descent and spent years in the US and London before settling in Stockholm with her Swedish husband, first met Herngren Rosén, who was born and raised in the city, through mutual friends while the two of them were both pregnant with their daughters. “After having our daughters born the same week, we started to spend almost every day of our maternity leave together,” says Tunhammar.

The idea for Ilouity came to them on one of their daily walks. “We were discussing how hard it was to find decent jeans during our pregnancies and how we hated the pants we had to wear for those 9+ months (including postpartum) and couldn’t wait to get back in our regular jeans.”

When the two of them couldn’t find an answer as to why there weren’t any stylish contemporary maternity jean options available, they thought they should try their hand at it themselves. “We thought how hard could it be? It was a naive question in hindsight but it certainly gave us the push to get started quickly,” says Tunhammar.

Ilouity’s 02 Flare cut jeans and Straight Raw Indigo jeans have now become their daily staples, as well as being favourites among their customers for their timeless, clean cut design inspired by the quintessential pared back Scandinavian style aesthetics. “Our customer base is worldwide, but at our core we are certainly a Scandinavian brand. We also deeply care about sustainability, which is also a key part of Scandinavian fashion,” says Tunhammar. One of the core mottos behind Ilouity is to change this approach towards pregnancy fashion, so rather than you feeling eager to get rid of their pregnancy wardrobe after they have given birth, these are items that you can return to when the next baby comes.

Having debuted with just four different models, they’ve since expanded their collection to seven signature styles and ship worldwide to 25 countries via the Ilouity website, with ethical and sustainable manufacturing at the forefront – their jeans are produced in a family-owned factory with high-tech facilities that minimise carbon print and has high employment standards.

Their latest drop, the Dressed-up leggings collection, features a series thick, flattering fabric, and a chic cut for a day to night look. “Despite the abundance of pregnancy leggings in the market that often feel too exposing, too casual and with a workout-tight feel, we have a unique product that feels more like a trouser and styleable for any occasion,” explains Tunhammar.

While Herngren Rosén and Tunhammar have always been clear on the purpose of their brand and its identity, their biggest challenge yet has been juggling their busy lives with the demands of running a fashion start-up. “We started as two mothers with full time jobs, and continue to have the day to day juggling of toddlers, newborns and having been pregnant in the year and a half that we have had Ilouity,” Tunhammar says. But although there have been challenges, the most important thing, they say, is supporting one another, even in those difficult moments.

In fact, they credit their bulletproof friendship as their secret weapon for success, alongside being the very customer they are catering to. “As partners, and good friends, we hold the same vision for the brand, a true understanding and respect for where we are in life and an appreciation for how we complement each other,” says Tunhammar.