Promom Couture

Is motherhood stylish? Would wearing a shirt letting the world know that you are a ‘Happy Mom,’ a ‘Knock-Out Mom,’ or ‘Carpool Candy’ make you feel good? A group of moms in Atlanta is betting on it.‘Parenting, motherhood, fatherhood – it’s in, it’s hip – some days you do feel unbalanced, but it’s about thinking of when you had your child and celebrating parenthood – wearing a ‘Happy Mom’ shirt – it can change your emotion,’ says Vicki Stern-Brown, CEO of Promom Couture and mom of a son, 10, and daughter, 7.

After working more than 5 years as a litigation attorney, Vicki had her first child and went back to work. But the long hours required as a litigation attorney no longer appealed to her so she left law and turned pro. “Promom,” that is.

Applying the energy she formally focused on law, Vicki originally planned on writing a book to celebrate her new found love of parenting. But literary fame faded (for now) and stylish moms everywhere are the better for it. As the writing stalled, the fashion stars aligned and Vicki met Lori Poyner while sitting on the sidelines at their sons’ baseball games.

They saw in each other a kindred spirit: both previously worked in the corporate world (Vicki as a litigation attorney, Lori as a foreign currency advisor) and both left the corporate fast-track for the even faster-paced world of the professional mom.

‘I didn’t set out to start a business, it kind of just evolved that way,’ says Vicki. ‘It was a natural evolution. It’s a passion.’ So with an initial investment of $5,000 each, Vicki and Lori created Promom Couture. The plan was to get a graphic artist, make t-shirts, then make sales. ‘The artist was brilliant,’ says Vicki ‘but we couldn’t afford her so we made her a partner.’ (That made Karen Gold partner number three.) As they started to progress and sales were taking off (think Nordstrom and well-known boutiques), they took a fourth and last partner – Suzanne Simkin – who came in and ‘buttoned it all up.’

‘We all come from very different places,’ says Vicki. But one common thread is the belief that moms are vital, healthy, beautiful, balanced, together women who feel comfortable with the choices in life that they make whatever these may be.

How is Vicki a ‘Balanced Mom?’ ‘I stay up very late at night. I get up early in the morning. I want to have that quality time with my kids. Sometimes the kids say, ‘You’re working on Promom, but we want you to come over here.’ It’s important to listen to that and get that. I make an effort to contain my work to school hours. I drive carpool. I go on field trips.’

When Vicki’s not running a business and raising a family, she loves to run. ‘This whole thing started with us running around Chastain (Park, in Atlanta).’ Also, she and her husband love movies - Breakfast at Tiffany’s and Ferris Beuller’s Day Off are favorites.

Is Promom Couture a fashion trendsetter? Yes. ‘In my mind, motherhood has always been stylish, but we’re taking it, turning it on its side,’ says Vicki. ‘We are fashion forward and setting a trend because it has never been done before.’

Vicki’s favorite designer? Anything she can wear with Promom shirts… throw on her Lucky jeans on a regular day… or don a taffeta skirt for a black tie event (hey, if Sharon Stone can do it, why can’t I?) and she’s off and running.

Buy Promom Couture shirts at your nearest retailer or online at www.promomcouture.com.