Jessica Alba Shares How a Ruined Brunch Inspired a Great Business Idea
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again — Jessica Alba is living her best life — and we are so here for it. She’s kicked ass in movies and is slaying the working mom game. She even started a beauty range to her all-natural, ethically minded household goods business, The Honest Company — and she’s pregnant with baby number three.
For her latest entrepreneurial adventure, Alba and The Honest Company have partnered with Emily Current and Meritt Elliott of The GREAT for a limited-edition diaper collection called The GREAT Adventure. The fun prints have outdoors-inspired names like The Great Adventure, The Sweet Scout, The Camper Plaid, The Bandana, and The Indigo Woods. Read on to learn the story behind the collab and the dirty diaper story that inspired Alba (and ruined brunch).
Brit + Co: How did The Honest Company’s GREAT Adventure diaper collection collaboration come about?
Jessica Alba: Emily and Meritt of The GREAT have been friends of mine for a few years now. I was so excited to partner with a brand founded by fellow female entrepreneurs to bring this collection to life. They have impeccable taste, and I knew that their classic style would be perfect for our newest fall collection.
At The Honest Company, we have a very unique point of view, and we think of our diapers not only as functional, but also as fashionable — we launch new collections every spring, summer, fall, and winter. As fashion designers, it was only natural for The GREAT to apply their talents to our diapers, using the same skills that they use when designing clothing, but on our diaper patterns.
B+C: Can you take us through what the design process is like for a diaper range?
Emily Current and Meritt Elliott: We really dug into some of THE GREAT’s brand pillars — from outdoor adventure themes to touches of indigo. We immersed ourselves in the design and merchandising strategy of diapers. We understood that diaper prints not only “dress” a baby, but accent room decor. With this combined knowledge, we created prints that both told a brand story and spoke to the fashion loving, adventurous, and mindful mom.
B+C: Okay, now for some TMI. You all have kids of your own, so you must have at least one so-bad-it’s-good diaper incident you can share?
JA: When my oldest daughter Honor was very young, we went out to brunch with the family. She leaked through both her diaper and her clothes and we didn’t have any extra diapers on us. My husband Cash and I were scrambling, so we ended up grabbing a blanket from the car and wrapping it around her like a Grecian dress. That’s when the lightbulb went off in my head, and I decided to create Honest’s diaper bundle subscription model. I knew that I never wanted to have to worry about running out of diapers again.
B+C: As mothers, what’s the biggest takeaway you’ve learned from also being businesswomen and entrepreneurs? What advice would you give other mothers with young kids looking to start a business or take on a creative venture?
JA: It seems that all big brands are trying to reach the millennial mom these days. There are so many online marketplaces since the evolution of the internet, and sites such as Etsy have made it easier to start a business — you can either work from home or jump right in. As moms, we have a huge advantage, as we know what other moms want and we know our consumers best.
EC & ME: Use your expertise as mothers to enrich your business — from your expert ability to multitask, your innate instinct to be wise and compassionate, and the need to manage time and energy efficiently. Lean on other smart moms for advice and support. Know that being a mom gives you an edge. If you can raise a child, you can do anything!
What’s your favorite The Great Adventure diaper print? Tweet us @BritandCo and tell us which one you love!
(Photo via The Honest Company, featured photo via Frederick M. Brown/Getty)
