Lesa Milan of 'The Real Housewives of Dubai' on expanding her Mina Roe brand

Lesa Milan may be best known as one of the extravagant women of 'The Real Housewives of Dubai', but she's also the mind behind Mina Roe, a high-end fashion label focused on designer wear. maternity.

When the brand launched in 2016, it offered a range of clothing options for expectant mothers, ensuring they could look and feel stylish, sexy and comfortable in their own skin.< /p>

Mina Roe was born when Milan realized she needed to have a wider collection of maternity clothes when she herself was pregnant at 24.

“I started the brand because there was a hole in the market. There were no trendy maternity clothes,” Milan told WWD. out there with her bump, being sexy and edgy because that's what Mina Roe has always been about – celebrating your pregnancy rather than hiding it. You can always add that touch of fashion and your own personal style to your belly. I think that's the hole we filled with Mina Roe."

With a background in fashion, Milan first designed things for herself and eventually one thing led to another and Mina Roe was born.

The name Mina Roe materialized after Milan played around with baby girl names while pregnant with her second son, hoping it would be a girl. The word "Mina" is common in Dubai, meaning "light" in Arabic. The last part of the name was inspired by the Milan gynecologist who at the time welcomed a granddaughter named Monroe. She wanted one letter to match the logo design, so she just used "Roe" to complement it, with the "R" being in the shape of a pregnant woman.

Recently, Milan expanded Mina Roe's collection to include non-maternity wear, so women of all shapes, sizes and experiences can wear the brand regardless of their respective stage of life.

“Diversifying into a whole other space was a bit difficult, because I had to work with other creatives,” she said. “We took the risk of introducing pieces from other designers and manufacturers into our brands. So far it has been extremely positive. I'm so glad we made the transition because it makes sense. You get pregnant, we breastfeed, so how do we retain customers from a business perspective? It was a no-brainer that post-pregnancy was the next step. »

In 'Real Housewive of Dubai', viewers get a glimpse of Milan's fashion empire, including working with her husband, Rich Hall, and hosting her first fashion show for Mina Roe in the fall last.

Initially, she was asked to be part of Dubai Fashion Week, but the dates didn't match, so she decided to organize an event independently, which she managed successfully with the help from fellow housewife and former model, Chanel Ayan.< /p>

"It was super hectic," said Milan. "I had never done a fashion show before but it was so good. Thank god I had Chanel Ayan. I booked all my models through her and they ended up killing it. She was also very helpful behind the scenes. Overall I think for our first show I survived it."

Eventually, Milan hopes to expand its brand into footwear and body care suitable for pregnant women, offering comfortable styles and body butters and creams for stretch marks and more.

With just a few episodes remaining for the first season of “Dubai,” which currently airs Wednesdays on Bravo, the fashion designer and former beauty pageant contestant reflected on h...