07/27/2026
{ h i } it’s been brought to my attention (more than once) that I am very bad about posting photos of myself on this page! So I figured it’s time for an intro! I’m Isabel - founder, designer, shop gal, and wearer of (almost) all hats at Hedgehog Belly.
If you’re new here, welcome! If you’re a longtime follower, thanks so much for being here - it means so much to me!
In the last chapter of my life, I was a high-end childrenswear designer - starting my career in New York City at Marc Jacobs, and later moving to London to design for Burberry. It was amazing, and exciting, and stressful, and an absolute dream come true. Now that I am so ensconced in entrepreneurship here in the suburbs of Boston, sometimes I find it hard to believe that *that* was my life before! But honestly, I wouldn’t change a thing.
In 2014 I left my job at Burberry and shortly after got pregnant with my son Max! I job hunted through my pregnancy, and came very close to a position with a well-known company…. and I just couldn’t do it. I was 5 months pregnant, and every time I went into the office for an interview I noticed that everyone looked miserable. My gut (ha) just told me that I had to take myself out of the running for what most would have considered a dream job. So I did! My brain was telling me I was crazy, but my heart knew that place wasn’t right for me.
Fast forward to 2015, I had a brand new baby and had moved back to Framingham, MA from Brooklyn, NY. As Max grew, I explored options for getting back to work, but the idea of working 50+ hours a week to pay for childcare and a tiny apartment seemed crazy to me!
Since I’m someone who can’t NOT be busy, I started making clothing for Max. I had designer taste but my budget did not match - so making clothes for him seemed like the logical thing to do!
When Max started daycare in 2017, he wore his mama-made harem pants and I quickly started getting requests for custom orders. I fought starting a business for what felt like years (but in reality was probably weeks!) but with all these custom orders, Hedgehog Belly was born! I started selling my clothing at the Natick Farmer’s Market, and little by little we’ve grown to be the cute kids shop you know today - in a corner shop, right across the street from that amazing Farmer’s Market where we got our start!
Today, I’m the proud mama of an amazing 11 year old, a scruffy dog called Gus, and this wonderful business called Hedgehog Belly.
Follow along here or on our new blog for more stories about what led me to start this business, and behind the scenes shenanigans!
