Have you heard about My Private Pocket? This article will tell how we started.
Private Pocket Story
As a 15-year-old business owner and entrepreneur, you’d think that I’ve always been the type to have a plan. The truth is, I’ve never thought of what lay ahead of me, even when my health condition was affecting me the most.
The doctor diagnosed me with spina bifida occulta when I was born with a tethered spinal cord. At just three years old, I started developing life-long symptoms, two of which are incontinence and constipation.
Upon realizing these symptoms affected me in my day-to-day life, my mom desperately tried to find a solution.
Looking for a Solution
Dealing with both incontinence and constipation was difficult, especially when I began attending school. At first, my mom bought me two identical lunch boxes. One actually had my lunch in it while the other had a change of clothes in case I had an accident.
Her system worked out pretty well in the beginning until my classmates got curious and started asking me why I was bringing a lunchbox into the bathroom.
Needless to say, it was both difficult and embarrassing to explain my condition at such a young age. My mom came up with a game to find a better solution and get me more involved. When I was 6, she asked me, “Imagine you have a magic wand; what would you create to help you at school?”
It didn’t even take two seconds before the idea hit me. “Pockets. Secret pockets.” I replied.
Testing My Idea: My Private Pocket is Born
I wanted something discreet enough so that no one would notice, yet large enough to fit underwear in, along with a small pack of wipes.
I called it “My Private Pocket.”
My Mother and I started sewing pockets and attaching them to different articles of clothing. That was until we realized that sewing the pocket directly onto my underwear was the most efficient design.
I began carrying disposable underwear as my backup pair to change into, but that just made the pockets bulgy and uncomfortable. After many failures, we finally found the answer—laser-cut underwear made of nylon.
Helping Other Kids
As I grew older, I found out that I wasn’t alone. There were other kids out there suffering from incontinence and constipation who faced the same struggles as me. One day I went up to my mother and told her, “I want to help other kids!”
And that single sentence was what kick-started our business…
In collaboration with my mom, I began creating design concepts for the underwear, the mascot, and the business logo! From design to marketing to networking, I worked to create, promote, and improve my business with my mom by my side.
While my friends played sports or joined clubs, I was sketching out designs and testing out different ideas. Once everything was ready, we officially launched our business, HIDDEN, in June 2020, along with the My Private Pocket underwear collection and My Backup underwear for kids.
Today, I ship orders to customers, pitch my business to other kids and continue to come up with new designs for my products.
With the upcoming launch of our hoodie and the progress, we’ve made on our new underwear line. Becoming a part of the Fashinnovation community has been the cherry on top of an incredible life-long journey.
I’m forever grateful for this opportunity and the blessings to come.
Like this article? Then read this one: Celebrating Uniqueness: the Difference Between Diversity & Inclusivity
* Written by Isabella Duarte-Crespo, Founder of Hidden Innovations in Disguise LLC
