It took Anastasia Brotherson and her sisters, Tara and Sian, just five weeks to turn a concept for a women’s wear label into a registered brand and retail store in Subiaco.
That’s not to say Aura Pregnant Sexy Motherwear hasn’t presented a range of challenges, however.
Now, two years into the business, Ms Brotherson is trying to take it all at a slower pace. The business is growing and there’s a third child on the way, but she remains confident that, by managing her time well and with the help of a “very supportive husband”, she can strike a balance between business and family.
Ms Brotherson said setting up the business happened so fast that the company had little time to really consider the eventualities of an evolving business.
She also believes the “pregnant” part of the business name no longer captures the entirety of its market appeal.
“After attending a personal growth course in 2003, I created the business with such urgency and flew to Sydney in a whirlwind to purchase the ‘Fragile’ range,” she said.
The company has evolved to encompass clothes for all women, particularly plus-sized and taller women aged between 25 and 65.
As a result, Ms Brotherson said the company would now re-brand to better represent the wider market.
The label will remain a choice for pregnant women, as many are still researching pregnancy wear on the internet, and the company will continue to target those buyers online.
Ms Brotherson designs and manufactures four collections, two each for summer and winter, under the Aura PSM range, but has realised her limitations and asked a designer friend to help out a couple of days each week.
“I used to do pick-ups and deliveries, but driving around takes time. I’ve had to apologise to customers with special orders because I can’t personally do that anymore,” she said.
“The business was meant to complement our lives and still does, as long as we keep a good mindset and don’t lose track of our priorities.”
Aura PSM has hired a business consultancy firm to assess the company and provide positive criticism. As a result, Aura PSM is keeping costs down by no longer producing a catalogue and printing postcards instead.
“We knew nothing in the beginning, I had to find an accountant to deal with the BAS statement, but it has been a big learning curve,” Ms Brotherson said.
While the company has had wholesaling enquiries, Ms Brotherson does not want to depend on retailers. Rather, she and her sisters prefer smaller profit margins than to compromise on the high quality of the garments.
