Anokhi Fashion Lifestyle Entertaiment

New mom, Sarika Tandi* didn’t think twice before shelling out over $1,000 for her brand new Bugaboo stroller.

Why? The answer for her was simple: designer baby gear is worth all the money in the world when it’s for her baby boy. “I wanted something that looked good too,” says Tandi who’s on maternity leave from her full-time job in television. “Being a first-time mom, I still wanted to keep the fashionista in me. But the Bugaboo is very practical as well. It’s got all the things you need in a stroller plus it grows with your baby. I knew I was doing something good for my child. I knew he was getting the best.”

And Tandi isn’t the only big spender. Gwen Stefani pushes around the Orbit Infant System with a stroller seat that rotates 360 degrees. Most models go for just under $1,000. “The whole children’s industry has just exploded,” says Shanly Trinidad, co-owner of Buttercream Baby in Unionville, Ontario. “The demand is there. People want to spend money on their kids, and people want to show that they’re spending money on their kids.”

Even dads are getting into the game. Rock stars, Jon Bon Jovi and Tico Tores got together and came up with a new hip stroller called Rock Star Stroller. Most models are selling for $499.

Designer lines for babies get a boost every time a celebrity is caught with their kid on camera. Appaman is one such collection that’s cashing in. “Angelina’s kids have made it very popular,” says Michelle Schmidt, owner of Belly Bumps and Babies in Richmond Hill, Ontario. “Her kids have been pictured in the t-shirts and pants. It’s really cool stuff.”

Schmidt goes on to say however that celebrity-driven gear is a recent phenomenon. “It’s been this way just in the last few years. I don’t remember ever reading in magazines about what celebrities’ babies were dressed in. Now every time celebrities walk out with their children, there's the question of what were they wearing?”

Schmidt says many parents put stock in a product chosen by a celebrity. Diaper bags have taken on a life of their own. “The Storksak is another example,” says Schmidt about a diaper bag that looks like a purse, “one of the celebrity moms had one and parents specifically came in and asked for it. They think ‘Well, because she had one then it must be good.’”

Baby bling t-shirts are still the rage as well, says Schmidt. The t-shirts come in pink, white or black and have phrases written in silver studs on them. “People still go nuts over them,” says Schmidt. “It’s the whole knock off of Juicy Couture.”

And baby bling is showing up everywhere: Personalized Pacifiers gifted a $17,000 solid 14K gold white diamond pacifier to Brad and Angelina Jolie after their daughter Shiloh was born.

While the Brangelina family may love to show off their new baby bling, others say it’s not so much about letting your friends know how much you spent but more about helping to feel better about yourself at a time when your body begins to have a mind of its own. “The Gucci diaper bag I have is okay, but it’s not practical. It was totally for me,” says Tandi.

One pair of moms is taking that feeling one step further. The brainchild of San Diego moms GG Benitez and Atoinette Gazale (aka Tuni), the Tuni and G interactive clothing line launched in 2005, has outfits especially made for moms and their kids from infants to 12-year-olds. The top selling line is a t-shirt that has the phrase “Don’t Ya Wish Your Mommy Was Hot Like Mine?” written in silver rhinestones on a black or white shirt for an infant accompanied by matching hoodie for mom which says “Don’t Ya?”.

“You always get something for your baby but what about for moms?” says Benitez. “Just because you’re a mom doesn’t mean you can’t be sexy and sassy.” That’s the inspiration behind the sets, she says. “It’s not just another children’s line. It’s interactive and it’s an attention-grabber.”

The sets have been a hit with celebrity moms and babies proudly wearing their "Queen" tee with the matching "Princess" tee or "Prince" onesie, or the "Rock 'n Roll" set, featuring a baby's shirt that reads, "My Mom Rocks" and mom's shirt responding, "My Baby Rolls." The hype went to an all-time high when Tuni and G were asked to have their shirts put in the pre-Oscar Hollywood Baby Breakfast Club gift baskets. The interactive shirts have also been gifted to Tori Spelling and Felicity Huffman. Even Britney Spears was caught buying one of the tees.

The “mompreneurs” have now developed a dad’s line that has paired shirts saying, Don’t Ya Wish Your Daddy was Dreamy Like Mine?” And a shirt that reads, “Don’t Ya?” for the proud dad. This set was gifted for Patrick Dempsey and his wife earlier this year. The result of the celebrity buzz was so enormous that even Entertainment Tonite is now selling the line on its own website.

And whether it’s sassy t-shirts or shi-shi diaper bags, today’s hip mom-to-be isn’t looking for big bows or baby doll dresses to complete the look. She wants to be sexy and flaunt her curves during maternity. Retailer Pea in the Pod is having success in doing just that. Women love to see how the retailer dresses celebrities like Salma Hayak or Elizabeth Hurley. Tandi explains, “I wanted certain pieces from Pea in the Pod because they really matched my style-I looked good, and I could still work in the clothes.”

Toronto’s KICK Maternity store has had success in understanding that women want to leave the store looking like they did when they came in. Nicole Mann, a manager at KICK, says denim is the most important for a woman in her maternity wardrobe. She says women are paying big bucks to look good and still be comfortable in denim. Name brands like Paige, Seven For All Mankind and Earl Jeans all have maternity lines. “Most of the denim starts at $230 and women come in and get two or three pairs,” says Mann.

And for those not willing to shell out hundreds on a pair of maternity jeans, a multi-purpose dress is a must-have and can do wonders. “A lot of dresses aren’t maternity, they’re just a stretchy material and a have a style that works with maternity.” Mann says the Versatile Dress by Pouch is also a great dress for all nine months.

So what’s up next for Tandi’s list of must-haves?

“Right now, after it’s all said and done, some sleep would be awesome,” says Tandi. It’s a good thing there isn’t a bling version of that.

*Names have been changed for anonymity.
BY: ANJUM CHOUDHRY/PUBLISHED: FALL 2007 ISSUE