Tired mums are often looking for online shopping options rather than physical baby shops when buying newborn clothing. As a busy mum herself, DIVYA CHOPRA knows this all too well. This experience ignited the spark to start up her own bamboo fibre baby and kids clothes range, The Plush Club.
Tell us about your background.
By education I’m a lawyer and I lived and breathed the corporate life for over ten years. But my real passion has always been fashion and styling. So in 2014 I enrolled in a couple of summer programmes based on fabric and designing in New York at The Parsons School of Design and the Pratt Institute. The courses gave me a great insight into fashion world. I also gained an appreciation for fabric and its suitability for different skin types. Fabric adaptability to suit diverse skin types was a topic that piqued my curiosity. At this point, our family decided to relocate to Singapore so I had to postpone my plan for a fashion-related business.
How did you come up with the idea for online shopping brand The Plush Club?
In my quest to review fabrics and their applicability, I decided to explore materials suitable for the humid weather conditions in Singapore. This gave me a good understanding of the different options, and I began to focus on bamboo fibre as a skin-friendly fabric.
When I welcomed my son in 2020, it struck me that for sensitive baby skin, there could be no better alternative than bamboo viscose. It’s super soft and breathable and perfect for our tropical climate. This thought kept me awake at night so I decided to follow my long held dream of combining my small business plan and fabric knowledge to create The Plush Club baby shop in late 2021. All of our products are designed for comfort and vibrancy.
How have you found the transition to running a baby shop full time?
After much deliberation, earlier this year I decided to focus my full attention on nurturing my entrepreneurial dream and quit my job. I think it’s important for a mumpreneur to figure out priorities fairly early after having a child, especially given time constraints and limited resources. While my family and two-year-old son come first, it’s extremely important to me that I’m passionate about my work too. My heart lies in the fashion world and I’m happy to be fortunate enough to launch my venture in this industry.
What makes your newborn clothing line standout from other bamboo viscose brands?
The key to the success of The Plush Club is keeping things very simple and not complicating the original vision. Our ethos is to follow the three tenets of exceptional texture, design and style. To this end, I’ve engineered soft, skin-friendly fabrics, curiosity invoking designs, and functionality for parents in every piece.
Whenever we add a new product to the range, I make sure not to waver from these three core principles. I know from personal experience that for online shopping you need to select a brand you can trust (or expect to pay return shipping)! Feedback from clients and repeat orders gives me confidence that our baby shop is hitting the target.
Do you plan to extend your newborn clothing range?
Our immediate plan is to offer new colours and designs, so you’ll see new playful and innovative apparel on our site for newborns to five-year-olds very soon. I’m excited to report that we’re also in the early planning stages of branching out to other high-end lifestyle products. This luxury range will be curated to ease the day-to-day pain points of parents raising their little ones from birth to five years. Making life easier for families will always be at the heart of The Plush Club mission.
What are some of your favourite items for every age?
- For a newborn, an ideal gift is one of our cute toffee knot gowns. The design keeps the baby warm and snuggly with inbuilt foldable mittens. The bottom knot feature makes it super easy to change the diaper without having to unbutton and re-button the baby, which is the hardest thing when you’re sleepy at night. Our ultra-soft swaddle set with gift bag is another popular product in our newborn clothing range for inducing the perfect cosy sleep.
- For babies between three months and two years, our long-sleeve zipper rompers are our best sellers. Two way zippers, foldable mitten cuffs and footies will keep your baby feeling comfy and looking adorable. Also in our signature soft bamboo viscose fabric are our half-sleeve zipper rompers. They’re perfect for the hot and sticky Singapore weather and are especially good for babies who perspire.
- For kids above two years, we have a range of siesta-worthy PJs in matching vibrant designs. You can even match your minis in our adult PJ sets.
All of our products are perfect for online shopping and gifting as they’re lovingly packaged in beautiful boxes. You can just tie a ribbon and it’s ready to go! Alternatively, if you’re feeling inspired you can create a bespoke gift box of all your favourites!
Quote EXPAT10 at checkout and receive a 10% discount!
Suntec City Tower 4, #02-724
contactus@theplushclub.com |theplushclub.com
Looking for something fun to do with the kids this weekend? Read this article for some great indoor and outdoor playgrounds in Singapore.
Like this article and want to read more? Purchase the latest issue of Expat Living magazine or subscribe so you never miss a copy!
