Weekend Warrior
One determined entrepreneur fights for pregnant women's rights to dress in today's hottest styles.
Vital Stats: Barbie White,
48, president and co-designer of Japanese Weekend Inc.
Company: San Francisco
maternity clothing retailer and wholesaler
Projected 2003 Sales: $10
million
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What's in a Name? White,
a former dance company owner, named Japanese Weekend after a
production she had choreographed. "Because I was a gymnast and
dancer, I understand how the body moves. So it's easy for me to
understand the [changes in a pregnant woman's body]."
Creating the Ok Support Waistband, which fits below the belly and
supports the back, White offers mothers-to-be a chance to breathe
easy from the usual discomfort of a tight waistband cutting across
the stomach.
"My generation
was getting pregnant, but maternity stores were still buying
clothing as if we were our mothers."
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The Minimalist: "I come
from the theory that less is more. We interpret what the trends are
but manipulate them into something sophisticated." White
describes her clothing and clientele as "confident, free and
hip."
Maternal Instincts: When
times were tough in the late '90s, White's accountants told
her to dump mail and Internet orders, their biggest money losers.
She refused. "If we had stopped at that point, the momentum we
would have lost would have been devastating." Mail order is
now one of the company's biggest moneymakers.
Growing Up: Not wanting to
depend on wholesaling, Japanese Weekend opened six retail
locations, but the clothes can be found in independent boutiques.
Says White, "The key to feeling sexy is [feeling] comfortable.
These clothes enhance the ability to feel comfortable."