Ariane Goldman: The Founder of HATCH on Building a Modern Maternity Brand.
Image Courtesy of HATCH
One of the most powerful things about speaking with entrepreneurial mothers is witnessing how motherhood so often becomes a turning point. A moment of radical clarity that reshapes purpose and deepens ambition. For Ariane Goldman, motherhood wasn’t a detour from her creative life, it became the spark that revealed a glaring absence in the culture. As she’s said of that season, “there were no brands that spoke to my desire to celebrate how great I felt and how cool this moment was.”
Ariane is the Founder and Chief Creative Officer of HATCH, a brand that helped pioneer what we now recognise as the modern motherhood space: not “maternity” as an afterthought, but motherhood as a full identity: stylish, complex, and deserving of beautiful design. Long before motherhood became a mainstream consumer conversation, Ariane was one of the first founders to build a brand that met women with respect and relevance, creating pieces designed to carry you before, during, and after pregnancy, a philosophy she’s spoken about repeatedly in founder interviews.
Her work has been widely recognised, including features in Vogue and Forbes, but what stands out most is the intention underneath the visibility: the insistence that women should not have to disappear as they become mothers. In a world that still tries to reduce pregnancy to “cover up and get through,” Ariane built HATCH as a form of affirmation, and then expanded it into something much bigger than a wardrobe.
Because the truth is, she didn’t just build a product, she built a language. And as Ariane writes, “I started a maternity brand thinking that pregnant people needed cute dresses. They need way more than that.” In this week’s Conversation With, we talk about the founder leap, the early conviction it takes to build in a space that’s historically been underestimated, and how motherhood can sharpen a woman’s ambition instead of softening it. Ariane’s story is a reminder that when women build from lived experience, they don’t just create businesses - they reshape culture.
By Alice Codford
ON MOTHERHOOD
Alice: Do you feel motherhood changed you? In your identity, your ambition, and how you move through the world?
Ariane Goldman: Completely. Motherhood softened me and sharpened me at the same time - it made me more empathetic, but also far more decisive about what matters. My ambition didn’t shrink, it clarified. I move through the world now with less ego and more purpose.
Was motherhood what you expected? What surprised you most?
Ariane Goldman: It was more consuming and more expansive than I ever imagined. I expected love, but I didn’t expect how deeply it would rewire my sense of self. The biggest surprise was how much I’d grow alongside my children.
“Motherhood softened me and sharpened me at the same time — it made me more empathetic, but also far more decisive about what matters.”
What’s been one of the hardest parts of motherhood, and what helped you through it?
Ariane Goldman: The constant tension between presence and productivity has been hard - wanting to be everywhere at once. What’s helped is building real support systems and letting go of perfection. I’ve learned that being a grounded mother matters more than being a flawless one.
What’s been one of the highest points so far, a moment you’ll never forget?
Ariane Goldman: The quiet moments - holding my babies in those early days when the world felt paused. There’s nothing more clarifying than that kind of intimacy. Those are the moments that reset everything.
Image Courtesy of HATCH
HATCH is so rooted in “this season of becoming.” Was there a moment in early motherhood where you didn’t recognise yourself, and what helped you come back to you?
Ariane Goldman: Absolutely. Early on, I felt untethered from the woman I had been: my body, my rhythm, my confidence all felt unfamiliar. What brought me back was reconnecting to my creativity and building something that reflected who I was becoming, not who I had been.
On the days where it feels like everything is too much - business, parenting, life - what helps you reset?
Ariane Goldman: I zoom out. A long walk, a workout, or even ten quiet minutes alone can reset my nervous system. Perspective is everything and remembering this is a season, not a permanent state.
“I’ve learned that being a grounded mother matters more than being a flawless one.”
What has motherhood taught you about boundaries: the ones that protect your energy, time, and nervous system?
Ariane Goldman: It taught me that boundaries aren’t selfish, they’re protective. I’m far more intentional about where I put my energy and who gets access to my time. Protecting my nervous system is part of being a good leader and a good mother.
What do you wish you’d known before becoming a mother?
Ariane Goldman: That you don’t have to lose yourself to become a mother. You evolve, yes, but you can hold onto ambition, style, identity, all of it. You’re allowed to expand, not shrink.
ON HATCH: HOW IT STARTED + WHY IT TOOK OFF
Take us back to the beginning. What was the moment you realised maternity wear was missing how women actually want to feel?
Ariane Goldman: I was pregnant and walked into stores that made me feel invisible. Everything felt clinical and designed to hide the pregnancy. Nothing reflected how I dressed or who I was. I realised there was a massive gap between function and fashion, and women deserve better.
“Of course people said it was niche, but pregnancy isn’t niche — it’s universal. The risk was not elevating it.”
HATCH never felt like “maternity clothes”, it felt like fashion, period. How did you make that call early, and did anyone tell you it was too niche or too risky?
Ariane Goldman: I trusted my instinct that women don’t suddenly lose their taste when they get pregnant. Of course people said it was niche, but pregnancy isn’t niche it’s universal. The risk was not elevating it.
What was the original vision: were you building a product line, or were you building a new identity for pregnant women?
Ariane Goldman: It was always bigger than product. I wanted to shift the cultural conversation around maternity to make women feel seen, stylish, and powerful in this season of becoming. The clothes were the entry point, but the mission was identity.
What did you get wrong early on - product, pricing, marketing, inventory - and what did it teach you?
Ariane Goldman: Inventory forecasting was humbling in the early days. I underestimated demand and overestimated certain silhouettes. It taught me to listen to data as much as instinct. Building a brand is creative but scaling it is operational discipline.
Image Courtesy of HATCH
When did you feel the shift from “this is promising” to “this is working”? What told you you’d hit a product–market fit?
Ariane Goldman: When women started wearing HATCH long after pregnancy and telling their friends about it without being asked. Repeat customers are the loudest signal of product–market fit. That organic loyalty was, and remains, everything.
HATCH became a brand women wore beyond pregnancy, its lifestyle. Was that intentional from the start or a customer-led surprise?
Ariane Goldman: It was intentional in design but validated by customers. We design with longevity in mind, but seeing women routinely reach for those pieces years later confirms we build wardrobe staples, not just maternity wear.
What’s been the most pivotal growth moment for HATCH - a partnership, a retailer decision, a product category, a cultural moment?
Ariane Goldman: Expanding into beauty was pivotal. It deepened our authority in pregnancy and postpartum care by signalling that we aren't just dressing women, we were supporting them holistically. This evolution has only strengthened HATCH's longevity.
ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP + LEADERSHIP (THE REAL CHAPTERS)
What do you think people misunderstand about building a brand like HATCH, especially one that looks effortless from the outside?
Ariane Goldman: Effortless is engineered. Behind every clean image is relentless iteration, hard decisions, and financial risk. The aesthetic may be calm, but the building process is anything but.
What’s been your biggest “this could break everything” moment as a founder, and what did you do next?
Ariane Goldman: There were moments around capital and scaling where the stakes felt existential. In those moments, I focused on cash, clarity, and communication - protect the runway, align the team, move decisively. Panic never builds anything, but you have to make space for it.
“Growth requires trust — in your team, in timing, in evolution.”
What did you have to let go of to grow as a founder? Control, perfectionism, being liked, doing everything yourself?
Ariane Goldman: All of it. Letting go of control was the hardest and most necessary step. Growth requires trust - in your team, in timing, in evolution.
Do you ever experience mum guilt as a founder? And if so, what do you tell yourself in those moments?
Ariane Goldman: Of course, but I remind myself that my children are watching me build something meaningful. Modelling purpose and ambition is a gift too.
Image Courtesy of HATCH
How do you personally switch off, or do you? What’s helped in real life (not just “take a bath” advice)?
Ariane Goldman: I move my body - it’s non-negotiable. Tennis has been my saviour. Travel also resets me. A change of environment creates mental space.
What is your proudest moment as an entrepreneur or founder? And what does success look like for you now?
Ariane Goldman: Women walking up to me on the street saying thank you for changing their experience. Seeing HATCH continue to grow, direct proof that what we built had lasting value. Success now feels less about scale and more about impact and alignment.
ON WOMEN JUGGLING MOTHERHOOD + AMBITION
What’s the advice you wish someone had given you when you were trying to build something and raise a family?
Ariane Goldman: You can build it slower and still build it well. Longevity beats urgency.
What’s one practical system that makes your life work, something you’d genuinely recommend to another mum entrepreneur?
Ariane Goldman: Ruthless calendar discipline. If it’s not scheduled, it doesn’t exist - including workouts, school events, and white space.
What support do you wish more women gave themselves permission to ask for?
Ariane Goldman: Childcare without guilt. Operational support at work. Emotional support from friends. None of us are meant to do this alone.
“Comparison is corrosive. Focus on the next right step in your own lane.”
What do you think the “have it all” conversation gets wrong, and what feels truer now?
Ariane Goldman: “Having it all” suggests simultaneity. In reality it’s seasons. You can have many things just not always at the same intensity at the same time.
What would you say to a woman who feels behind? Behind in business, behind as a mum, behind in her own life?
Ariane Goldman: There is no universal timeline. Comparison is corrosive. Focus on the next right step in your own lane. That’s where momentum lives.
ON STYLE & SELF-CARE
Has your personal style changed since becoming a mother?
Ariane Goldman: It’s become more intentional. I reach for pieces that feel strong, unfussy, and enduring. Style that supports my life instead of competing with it.
What are your top three wardrobe heroes?
Ariane Goldman: A perfectly tailored blazer, a great high-waisted trouser, and a timeless cashmere sweater. Those pieces carry me through almost anything.
Do you have a style icon? Who or what inspires your style?
Ariane Goldman: I’m inspired by women who look effortless and intelligent at the same time, like Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy and Lauren Hutton. It’s about confidence, not trend.
What are your go-to skincare and makeup products that you always recommend?
Ariane Goldman: Clean, effective essentials like a great face oil, a hydrating cream, and a mascara that opens the eyes. I’m less about layers, more about glow.
What does self-care look like for you now - the realistic version, not the fantasy version?
Ariane Goldman: Sleep when I can get it, movement daily, and honest conversations with people I trust. It’s less spa day, more small rituals that keep me steady.
LOOKING AHEAD
What’s next for HATCH? What are you most excited about in the next 12 months?
Ariane Goldman: Opening and establishing our European flagship in London! This has been a dream of ours for so long and I’m thrilled it’s finally becoming a reality. I’m also looking forward to deepening our authority in pregnancy and postpartum through product innovation, community, and expanding our reach.
When you look back on this whole chapter, what do you hope HATCH changed for women culturally, not just commercially?
Ariane Goldman: I hope we help women feel powerful, not peripheral, in motherhood. That pregnancy can be a stylish, supported, celebrated season - not one of invisibility.
What legacy do you hope to create as a leader and as a mother?
Ariane Goldman: That I built with integrity and loved with presence. That my children saw courage and care coexist.
And finally, what message would you like to leave with the Luminary Mothers community?
Ariane Goldman: You are allowed to evolve. You are allowed to want more. Motherhood is not the end of ambition it can be the beginning of your most expansive chapter.
Follow Ariane on Instagram here. Follow HATCH Here. Visit Their Website Here.