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All pregnant women and wannabe mommies can heave a huge sigh of relief. Finally, an Indian designer cares to give your baby bump a fashionable curve. First, throw away those ugly-fugly grandma maxis, mass-marketed no-style maternity wear and worse, uncomfortable plus-sized garments. Back in the day it was not a big deal, but today being pregnant does not mean having to pause your style quotient.

Bengaluru-based ace designer Amanda Bachalli has launched a redefining Spring-Summer 2012 Maternity Wear collection that wowed her audience recently. Yes, many designers do made-to-order maternity ensembles for clients. But for the first time, here is stylish designer maternity wear that can be conveniently picked off the shelf.

It all began when Amanda recently got pregnant and found it a task to get quality maternity clothing in Bengaluru. "Being a designer, I was always dressed up to the nines. But when I got pregnant, I almost hit the glamour pause button for the limited choice available in this market. More than day wear, there is simply nothing for an evening out or a lunch party. Pregnant women already suffer from mood swings and bodily changes. The last thing we need to know is that we don't even look good," says Amanda, who immediately decided to give a heady mix to her creative juices. After having created superb global ensembles for five years through her label ?Amanda Bachalli', she launched the maternity line that promises to go big in time to come.

Amanda's collection shows off her signature edgy global style. One finds strappy summer dresses, lovely block-printed kurtis, breezy blousons over slimming quarter pants, bold cocktail dresses and even glamorous gowns in the collection. Narrating a soothing colour story with frequent pops of pop, the collection is dominantly in cotton, linen, georgette and chiffon. Each garment seems to promise comfort with a great sense of up-to-date style. But what parameters did Amanda keep in mind while designing this special collection? "The collection is for the style-conscious pregnant woman. Comfort and style without compromise is the key. Nothing is too fitted or too bulky. You see a shape.

The clothes are not to hide but to flaunt the pregnancy," explains Amanda and adds, "It is in three categories ? 1 to 3 months, 3 to 6 months and 6 to 9 months. There is an all-white collection in cotton, linen and lace. For tops, I have chosen intricate Islamic motif instead of the regular large hand-block print on cotton mull to give a light and clean look. Evening wear shows off few prints and some mood-lifting happy colours like yellow, pink

and aquamarine."

As for the silhouette, Amanda studied the various body types that tend to emerge during pregnancy for different women. "Apart from my own bodily changes, I researched on how each pregnancy could be. Some women put on weight on the legs. A full-length gown works for her. Somebody with shapely legs could still wear a short dress. But nothing is too short to make her conscious. All hems fall around the knee," says Amanda, who was once part of the inner core team that launched UK's biggest retailer, Tesco.

Giving a quick fashion tip for all expectant moms, Amanda says, "Just as you put on weight gradually during your pregnancy, it also takes time to shed it post delivery. So, save your maternity clothes for post-delivery wear. From my collection, you can easily use the 6 to 9 months category of clothing for a savvy look."

All the ensembles (stocked now at her flagship store in Sigma Mall on Cunningham Road) are pretty and glamorous oozing much panache. The garments are closest to the fashion psyche of even a regular woman.

This maternity line comes forth as a great confidence-booster or as Amanda rightly puts it, "feel-good modern maternity." So, switch on that glamour button and live out your pregnancy in style.