One of our favorite things about The Big Small Show is taking the time to chat with brands and learn their stories! This past winter, we stopped by the Singular Space at Playtime Paris to speak with the 10 brands on display there. Designed like a popup store, Singular puts young, emerging talents in the spotlight and showcases their mono-products or capsule collections. Mathilde, our Community Manager, fell in love with one of the brands there this winter.

Join us as we flashback to our interview with Leah, the creator and founder of Mathilde’s Playtime Pick, Jorgen House!

Leah, creator and founder of Jorgen House with her two children

Can you please introduce yourself and your brand?

My name is Leah, I’m the owner and founder of Jorgen House. Jorgen House is a brand that is engineered for the changing shapes of womanhood.

The concept came when I was pregnant with my first child. I found that I was wearing products that weren’t necessarily designed for a changing body shape, so they would fit you for a certain amount of time but not long term. They were garments you wouldn’t necessarily want to wear afterwards, either. So, the idea came to create a line that adapts and grows with you through different stages. It’s also a way to stop the throw away fashion that can be a challenge when it comes to maternity wear. Each design is really innovative and thoughtful. Our entire collection is made without seams, without underwires, so there’s nothing to irritate the skin or the body. It’s all made with sizing in mind as well, so it really will fluctuate with your changing body shape, because we can’t keep buying different sizes throughout maternity wear.

Jorgen House started while I was pregnant with my first child. I tested everything on my own body as it changed and developed.

I wanted to make my brand with sustainability in mind. We work with an Italian mill that collects yarns from factory room floors and recasts then into new yarn. Our collections are made with eco-friendly fibers like organic cotton, recycled polyester, and manmade cellulosic fibers from non-endangered certified forests. Each product is made with longevity in mind. All of these design details and different levels of support are to ensure the products will last a long time.

Can you please tell us a bit more about your products and how they adapt to women’s bodies?

My background is in sportswear design, so I started off looking at sports bras. I couldn’t find any that I could work out and feed my child in, so that was where I wanted to start. What I came up with was the maternity sports bra that can be worn during and after pregnancy. The cups will adapt with the fluctuating cup sizes as the pregnancy progresses. There are really strong, lock-in clasps that allow breastfeeding access. There are magnets on the sports bra to allow for breastfeeding that are soft and easy to use, yet strong. Each magnet can withstand 15 pounds of stress, so it’s not going to pop open. It’s all made with ease of use in mind.

I then started developing sports maternity leggings. The maternity sports leggings are all engineered with support technology. Under the torso there is a compression to give the support women need, and there are adaptable sections that truly adjust to different body shapes. I’ve tested it out on a lot of different pregnant women, my latest test being with a woman pregnant with twins. She wore our sports leggings from the early days of her pregnancy right up until two days to giving birth. It really does adapt to all the different stages and women will stay comfortable.

When I was breastfeeding, I found that I was always having to lift my shirt up to get access. I was always exposing my stomach, which is a sensitive area to expose, especially after giving birth. I always wanted to wear a bodysuit or something that would keep me covered, so I developed one that can be worn throughout pregnancy, as well as after it. The torso adapts to the changing shape of your body, and the magnetic closures make it easy to wear. When breastfeeding, there’s a little bra underneath and a snap to allow women to breastfeed in ease and comfort. It enables easy access without the exposure.

You can see that everything is designed with technology, so it’s going to fit and not gape anywhere. The bodysuits, the leggings, everything can be worn after pregnancy as well and it will fit against the body. There are 9 pieces in our current collection, including a little support brief and sleep bra. It’s elevated lifewear for all the different stages of womanhood.

How do you want to see Jorgen House evolve?

I really hope to see Jorgen House evolve to become a leader for women’s lifewear. I want to build on the technology and be able to cater to other product categories as well. This collection is elevated basics, with sportswear and loungewear, but there are so many other categories. Be it hosiery, swimwear, nursing cups, things that are just such a disposable fashion when it comes to maternity wear because you only need it for a short time.

Jorgen House has been developed to offer lifewear specifically engineered for the changing states of womanhood.

There isn’t really a destination that women can find everything they need when they’re pregnant, so they tend to buy cheaper products since they know they won’t be able to wear it later. A lot of women either buy maternity clothes they’ll never wear again or clothes that aren’t designed for their changing shape, so they don’t fit properly. I want Jorgen House to become that destination point where women can find everything they need for this stage of their life.

Singular at Playtime Paris W23, photo by Theo Sillas

What did you think of Playtime Paris? How was your experience exhibiting in the Singular Space?

This was my first time at Playtime Paris, and I’m really impressed. I’ve been to trade shows in my other job roles that have been very intense. This is a really lovely, friendly, relaxed environment, I was really happy to be there.

It was so nice to be involved in the Singular Space and to be surrounded by other brands going on the same journey. Jorgen House is only 3 months old [at time of interview, January 2023]. All of the brands in this space are new and little, so it’s really nice to feel that companionship. We’re all here together, and hopefully one day I’ll see them again in bigger spaces when we all come back to the show. It’s great to now have Playtime pick Jorgen House to put in the spotlight as well. Exposure is so important for new brands.

It was an absolute pleasure learning more about our Playtime Pick, Jorgen House! We hope that Leah’s experience at Playtime Paris will make you want to exhibit or visit our trade shows! Brands can still apply for booths at the summer shows in Paris, Shanghai, and New York to exhibit alongside other kids’ fashion, lifestyle, and parenthood brands. There are even still spaces available in the Singular Space at Playtime Paris for S23, so apply for a chance to be in the same spot our Playtime Pick Jorgen House was in!

All photos from Jorgen House