‘Best of British’ was the theme that inspired the fashion design and textile students at the University of Derby taking part in this year’s prestigious David Nieper scholarship.

Emily Webb took first prize in the textile design category and Hannah Coles was awarded first prize in fashion design. Fellow students Jessica Midgley, Emma Giles and Kate Myerscough were all presented with runner-up places.

Over 100 students competed in the David Nieper scholarship which is an annual award currently in its 5^th year, open exclusively to 2^nd year BA textiles and BA fashion design students.  The prize money on the evening totaled £1600 towards financial support for the student’s final year of study.

As part of their mandatory portfolio project, students were briefed to create a sample collection of four garments one each for nightwear, evening wear, day wear and travel wear designed specifically  for the older woman, a market often forgotten by the high street.

This year students were asked to base their collections on British location and culture. The brief which really captured their imagination and inspired some fantastic design work based on iconic British locations from Yorkshire to Brighton, Edinburgh and Bath.

Winner of the textiles category Emily Webb created a spectacular collection, drawing inspiration from the traditional English seaside destination of Brighton, capturing the bright colours of the pretty beach huts and hues of the scenic South coast. 

Emily commented:

“I am thrilled with my award, the competition was tough in our year and I have enjoyed the whole experience. The brief allowed us to be really creative and I based my designs on a typical British summer’s days at the seaside and created two hand printed fabrics, one digital and one knitted design.

This has been the first time I have designed with a customer in mind, which has been a new experience for me and given me a more commercial slant on my work. I have really enjoyed the work experience period in the David Nieper design studios and have learned so much. A massive thank you to the team!”

Christopher Nieper, Managing Director of David Nieper commented:

“We were very impressed by the outstanding talent demonstrated this year; however Emily and Hannah’s entries really stood out.  This was a challenging brief to students who were asked to consider the entire design process with special attention to colour palette, fabric, and silhouette. Both Hannah and Emily demonstrated exceptional creativity and technical ability. Congratulations to them both!”

At David Nieper we value the ongoing relationship we have with the University of Derby which every year goes from strength to strength,  we have been delighted to be able to offer employment to several of their talented graduates over the past few years who have gone on to become valued members of our team.”

Colin Thompson, Programme Leader for BA (Hons) Fashion at the University of Derby, said:

“The quality of work produced by our fashion and textile design students this year has been exceptional and our showcase is stronger than ever before.

“The graduate fashion show is a significant example of where the University is offering real-world experience to its students. Seeing their work on the catwalk, worn by professional models, is an amazing feeling for our students and a real celebration of their success.

“The collections this year are contemporary, high-quality and innovative and myself and the other lecturers are extremely proud of them all.”

For further information visit www.davidnieper.co.uk

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For further media information contact:

[email protected]

Tel: 07904 257687

Photograph  From left to right…..Hannah Coles (BA Fashion), Emily Webb (BA Textiles), Emily Giles (BA Fashion) and Jessica Midgley (BA Textiles) then Christopher Nieper, Managing Director, David Nieper.

Speaking at the Make it British ‘Meet the Manufacturer’ event in London, Christopher Nieper, Managing Director of luxury clothing business David Nieper Ltd announced that the Derbyshire fashion house has become a national trailblazer for the government’s apprenticeship drive in fashion and textiles.  

The industry’s vocational qualifications including NVQs and BTECs, are being replaced by a new system where employers take the lead and set the criteria against which apprentices must develop their skills and benchmark success.

David Nieper has a 55 year heritage of making fine British fashion, with an extensive collection created every season including luxury knitwear, day wear, swimwear and night wear making them an ideal business to determine the skills requirement for the sector, and set the National Apprenticeship Standard.

The family business is currently working with Chesterfield College and the New Economy in Manchester to set the standard across three specialist job roles including; sewing machinist, pattern cutter and garment technologist. Once set, all fashion and textiles apprentices in the UK, training for these roles will be assessed against the new trailblazer standard.

Christopher Nieper, Managing Director of David Nieper Ltd commented:

 “Traditional apprenticeships have always involved experienced people passing their skills to future generations.   Our aim with the Trailblazer is to pool ‘best practice’ from successful companies for the benefit of all British fashion manufacturing.  Our aim is to provide the technical expertise for Britain’s future National Apprenticeship standards.”

As an employer we have fashion and textile students apply for jobs in our sewing rooms but often their training simply isn’t up to scratch. So getting involved in setting the standards means we can take control to ensure apprentices possess the right skills and aptitude to do the job.”

The National Apprenticeship Standard officially sets out the competencies an apprentice must display by job role, and provide a point of reference on their progression. Apprentices must demonstrate the appropriate level of skills, knowledge and behaviours appropriate to each specific job role to gain their qualification.

As one of the few fashion designers that have always produced in the UK, David Nieper has prioritised training to allow specialist skills to be passed from experienced staff onto the young generation and apprentices have played vital role in this.

So, when the government announced a change in the way UK apprenticeships were to be funded   through the apprenticeship levy, David Nieper Ltd saw an opportunity to get the most out of the scheme and take control of developing of apprenticeships that worked better for business.

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For further information contact:

David Nieper Press Office, Lauraine Jordan 07904 257687

[email protected]

Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP (former leader of the Conservative party and leader of the opposition) and Andy Cook, Chief Executive Centre for Social Justice visited the new David Nieper Academy in Alfreton, Derbyshire to see how the David Nieper fashion house is uniquely putting social justice at the heart of its business plan.

David Nieper Ltd has been one of Alfreton’s largest employers for 55 years and one of the few British fashion houses that has never taken production overseas, but has instead prioritised creating jobs for local people and more recently prioritised educating local children.

By becoming the first UK fashion business to sponsor a school and investing significantly in broadening skills across the community, the business is tackling both education failure and worklessness, two of the most detrimental social issues identified by CSJ in their ‘Breakthrough Britain’ report, making this visit from Iain Duncan Smith and Andy Cook especially poignant. 

The Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) was established as an independent think-tank in 2004 to put social justice at the heart of British politics and make policy recommendations to tackle the root causes of poverty. The CSJ is best known for its major Breakthrough Britain reports which identified 5 pathways to poverty – family breakdown, educational failure, worklessness and dependency, addiction and serious person debt.

Visiting the school today, Rt Hon Iain Duncan Smith MP commented:

“The David Nieper Academy is exemplary in the way it has tackled the skills shortage in its local area by training up young people in readiness for employment.

“Not only does the British manufacturing industry benefit, people living in the community have the opportunity to gain the skills they need to get a job and progress with their career.

“It is well known the best route out of poverty is through work. Work also provides a regular routine, a means of interaction with a community, a stake in society and a sense of purpose.

“I hope many other businesses see the enormous advantages in investing in our young people so they can fulfil their potential and British manufacturing can thrive in the years to come.”

Christopher Nieper, Managing Director of David Nieper Ltd and the founder of the David Nieper Education Trust, believes the only way to secure the future of the business and the town’s economic future is to invest in skills.

Alfreton is a former coal mining town and within the ‘travel to work’ area of Derby, which has been identified by the Government as a social mobility cold spot – i.e. an area with a higher concentration of low paid jobs, low skilled jobs and lower school attainment standards.

The David Nieper Education Trust aims to develop the methodology to turn around a persistently underperforming secondary school (historically in the bottom two percent for attainment) whilst delivering career ready, employable young people for jobs, apprenticeship and further education. The ultimate goal is to ensure that young people in Alfreton have as much opportunity to progress in life as those living in other parts of the UK.

Christopher Nieper commented:

“We are delighted to welcome Iain Duncan Smith and Andy Cook here today, and appreciate their recognition of our endeavours to help secure the future of Alfreton through education and skills.  All young people regardless of background should be capable of living fulfilling and productive lives – we are hoping to help them achieve this through our work at the school. 

Similarly, through the development of skills within our own business we are equipping local people with all the skills they need to find gainful employment both within our own company and further afield.”

David Nieper works with education at every level, supporting   primary schools, secondary education at the David Nieper Academy (built for 850 pupils) , sponsoring university bursaries, chairing the government’s Trailblazer for the National Apprenticeship standards in sewing and garment technology and their own in-house sewing school.  

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For further information on David Nieper visit https://www.davidnieper.co.uk/

For further information on The Centre for Social Justice visit http://www.centreforsocialjustice.org.uk/

For further media information contact:

David Nieper Press Office, Lauraine Jordan

[email protected]  07904 257687

Derbyshire fashion house David Nieper, one of the UK’s leading fashion manufacturers today welcomed the formal trigger of Article 50 and the long awaited turning of the key in the ignition of British business.

The fashion house which celebrated 55 years in business last year, exports one third of products to France, Germany and Holland and has been trading within Europe’s markets since long before the emergence of EU administration.

Christopher Nieper of the Derbyshire fashion house commented:

“Article 50 is a shot of adrenalin for British manufacturing and a catalyst to export for our great trading nation.   British design and British made products are revered the world over, so let’s see this as an opportunity and not a hazard.  

We must cultivate British skills, create British jobs, take advantage of the weak GBP and bring supply chains and prosperity back to our shores. British manufacturing is a shadow of its former self and Article 50 provides the driving force to put us back on the world stage.” 

The trend of manufacturing overseas which started in the seventies and has almost decimated the fashion production industry in the UK.  [1]In 1977 over 900,000 people were employed in fashion manufacturing in the UK, this figure has fallen to just 34,000, a 96 percent reduction. 

More broadly within the manufacturing industry, overseas production has resulted in a downturn in UK manufacturing across all industries, a rise unemployment, the affliction of an unskilled workforce and a downturn in export.  This downward spiral has contributed to the UK’s substantial trade deficit, an increase in borrowing and national debt.

The Government’s new ten pillar modern industrial strategy is a useful start on the road to recovery, it addresses the skills shortage and puts onus on both education and the business world to work more closely together to ensure the market is up to the challenge.

Once the strategy comes into fruition a virtuous trade circle will be allowed to develop  – more manufacturing means more jobs, more skills, more exports and as a consequence less  trade deficit, less borrowing and less debt.

Since the Brexit vote, productivity at the Derbyshire fashion house has increased, boosted by the lower value of GBP. Sales in the last quarter of 2016 were up by 19% in UK and 16% in the EU.

Christopher continued:

“The opportunity for manufacturers is very real and so too is the challenge, the new industrial strategy is a much more sustainable model. At David Nieper we have already taken the first steps and committed to increasing our own skills to meet demand by increasing the size of our sewing school by 150% by end of 2019.

We have no doubt that Article 50 will help the wheels of commerce turn in the right direction for us all, and that developing local skills is the key to future success for the manufacturing industry and prosperity in a post Brexit world.”

* https://fashionunited.uk/uk-fashion-industry-statistics

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For further information contact

David Nieper, Press Office

Lauraine Jordan

[email protected]

07904 257687

With Mother’s Day just around the corner, our design team at the David Nieper fashion house has selected some of our favourite pieces from this year’s SS17 collection, which make beautiful gifts guaranteed to help make your Mum’s day extra special.  

Each one of these pieces is made by our team of experienced dressmakers in Derbyshire from the designer’s first sketch to the seamstress’s final stitch – a real labour of love and just what your Mum deserves.

With Mother’s Day comes the first days of spring, but there is still a nip in the air – so you can’t go wrong with some classic David Nieper knitwear. For a fresh nautical look our matelot striped fine 100% cotton knit adds a dash of Breton-style chic to the spring wardrobe. This makes a smart, modern look when twinned with jeans or neutrals and adds a splash of colour to your Mum’s special day. Style KM9914, priced £95.

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This week companies across the UK are campaigning to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships to British business, during the tenth annual National Apprenticeship Week (#NAW2017). At David Nieper, luxury fashion house in Derbyshire apprenticeships have always played a vital role throughout the company’s 55 year history.

The business has prioritised skills and training to allow specialist manufacturing skills to be passed from experienced staff onto the young generation and has committed to further expanding its Sewing Academy with up to £500,000 to be invested in training new recruits over the next three years.

In the sewing rooms, the longest serving member of staff is Alfreton lady, Moira Guest a highly skilled dressmaker and a living, breathing example of the success story of apprentices at David Nieper.

Moira started her career as an apprentice in 1969, when her Headteacher found her a position as junior machinist at the David Nieper fashion house. At age 15, she started work in a team of 20 dressmakers in an old Nissan hut in Alfreton, a far cry from David Nieper’s modern sewing rooms and 250 +staff working on the same site today. However, some things never change and Moira still uses the same skills she learnt during her apprenticeship in her work every day.

Moira commented:

“The best way to learn is from other people and have your work critiqued. You can read a book or be instructed a hundred times – but you need to actually do the job, make mistakes and have someone with more experience assess your work, then you never forget.

I still use the same skills that I learnt as an apprentice in my everyday work – lockstitch to hem cotton and cross stitch to attach lace detail onto nightwear, it’s just become second nature to me.

Working with skilled people right from the very start means you don’t develop any bad habits and ensures that whatever you are making is done to the highest standards.  I am now very critical about how everything is made from clothes to household goods; I can’t help but examine how it is put together.

There is nothing more satisfying that seeing the garment you have made hanging in a show room or looking beautiful on a customer.”

Christopher Nieper, Managing Director at family business David Nieper commented:

“Our business has been built on apprenticeships and from highly skilled people like Moira learning and then passing on their specialist skills to the younger generation. Our experienced supervisors most of whom have been with us for over 20 years do an excellent  job in keeping quality standards high so that our young apprenticeships learn best practise.”

In addition to passing on skills, apprenticeships are also the best way to develop relationships – many big organisations run mentor schemes in the workplace, however with an apprenticeship this relationship between trainer and trainee naturally develops creating a productive environment in which to learn.”

For further information on the David Nieper Sewing School visit https://jobs.davidnieper.co.uk/

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For further media information contact:

David Nieper Press Office

[email protected]

07904257687

“Welcome to your new school. You can be the leaders and achievers of the future and we will help you get there” … was the message delivered by Head teacher Dr Kathryn Hobbs on the first morning back to school after half term. The children at the David Nieper Academy in Alfreton experienced a day unlike any other, as they walked into their new £15million school building for very first time.

After handing out orientation maps and arranging a treasure hunt around the shiny new corridors and classrooms, Head teacher Dr. Kathryn Hobbs held a welcome assembly for staff and students and told them this move marked a brand new beginning for each and every one of them.

Addressing the school, Dr. Hobbs spoke to the children and shared her thoughts and the school’s vision for future.

“We have a fantastic new building and a fresh new start… leave any bad habits with the old building, they have no place here.  It is the mission of the David Nieper Education Trust to develop leaders and achievers for the future and that is each and every one of you.

You can be anything you want to be, you can go anywhere you want to go, you can do whatever you want to do and we are here to help you do that. If you want to go to University we can help you get there, if you want an amazing apprenticeship we can help you do that. You need to work hard, do your best and we are here to help you achieve.”

The opening of the school was marked by a ribbon cutting ceremony by two of the youngest Year 7 students, who were accompanied by three former students from amongst those when the school very first opened on the site in 1939.

The David Nieper Academy is one of Derbyshire’s most ambitious and innovative educational ventures and one of Britain’s few privately sponsored Academies.

The aim is to build a community school where local employers and educators work together.

The school will offer first class academic support and give children a privileged connection with local employers and a career enriched curriculum intended to lead to jobs, apprenticeships or a head-start in further education at college or University.

Christopher Nieper, Chair of Trustees and founder of the David Nieper Education Trust commented:

“What an exciting day for these children and this move doesn’t come a minute too soon. Alfreton’s children really do deserve the very best facilities and this new building is a fantastic environment in which to learn.  Working with the teaching staff our aim is to create an outstanding school of which the whole community can be proud.”

ENDS

For further information contact

[email protected]

07904 257687

In advance of this year’s London Fashion Week, Derbyshire fashion house David Nieper, has announced plans to expand its Sewing Academy with up to £500,000 to be invested in training new recruits over the next three years – a clear indication that in fashion, British skills never go out of style.

The investment will help support the 250 strong staff based in Derbyshire meet the increasing global demand for ‘Made in Britain’ fashion.

Fashion design and production have historically been influenced by the environment, politics, culture and social change. The UK leaving the EU is already impacting the industry, with a revolution in manufacturing and emerging trend to bring production and skills back to UK shores.

David Nieper celebrated 55 years in business last year and is one of the few UK designers never to have taken production overseas. The business, which has always invested in local skills, is proud of its Derbyshire heritage and the people that make the clothes – from the designer’s first sketch in the studio, to the dressmaker’s final stitch in the sewing room. 

Christopher Nieper, Managing Director of the family business, David Nieper commented:

“Our company has always supported local skills, however with the changing market conditions British skills are now more ‘de rigueur’ than ever, which is why we are making further investment in our Sewing Academy. It forms parts of our ‘act local, think global’ strategy for growth.

Indeed the Local/Global theme of this year’s International Fashion Showcase at Somerset House is one that really resonates with us. The 26 countries taking part in the exhibition have been asked to explore in their Spring/Summer 17 collections how local culture translates into a global fashion language.

Here at David Nieper, at the coalface of British fashion manufacturing local culture has been woven into our collections at every level for decades; from the swing tags personally signed by the dressmakers, to the collection of iconic Derbyshire landscape photography included with customer orders. 

We are a living breathing example of how local culture translates into a global fashion brand, by acting local and thinking global we leave our customers in Europe and beyond, in no doubt as to the local influences and heritage of their garment.”

The David Nieper Sewing Academy was first set up in 2015 to address the chronic skills shortage in the UK’s fashion and textiles industry, the result of decades of UK fashion designers taking their manufacturing operations overseas.

In an endeavour to capture specialist skills before they were lost forever, trainees at the Academy benefit from working with experienced seamstresses where skills are passed on.

Trainees learn all the dressmaking essentials including cross-stitch, overlock, lockstitch and bar tacking, and progress through a range of different fabrics including; cottons, silks, elastics and wools.

The Sewing Academy acts as a platform for trainees to pursue a variety of careers in fashion manufacturing from dress making to pattern cutting, fabric cutting, design, knitwear and quality control.

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For further information contact:

 David Nieper, Press Office, Lauraine Jordan

[email protected]

07904 257686

 The David Nieper Academy in Derbyshire is set to develop leaders and achievers of the future with the launch of a brand new Sixth Form Business and Enterprise Centre opening in September 2017.

The David Nieper Academy is one of the UK’s first schools to be sponsored by a private, local, family business. The addition of a business focused Sixth Form will help boost the education of young people in the community and equip them for most careers in the dynamic world of business.   

The new sixth form will offer a choice of advanced BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma in Business (equivalent to 3 A Levels) or the intermediate BTEC Level 2 First Diploma in Business (equivalent to 4 GCSEs A*-C). The ground-breaking curriculum includes work experience and employer based assignments to enhance students’ future job prospects as well as enabling them to move onto apprenticeships, further college education or University.  

It is the mission of the David Nieper Academy to provide first class all-round academic support, as well as giving young people a privileged connection with local employers and a career enriched curriculum giving them a head start in the world of work.

The BTEC qualifications on offer include some of the keys areas of business, from finance to branding, recruitment and selection, event management and law.

Dr Kathryn Hobbs, Headteacher as David Nieper Academy commented:

“There is currently a gap in the provision of 16+ education in this area, so we are delighted to be able to offer our local young people the option to take a business focused qualification which has the potential to open doors in a wide variety of career paths from marketing and HR, to banking, retail, insurance and logistics.”

Christopher Nieper, Chair of Trustees, David Nieper Education Trust commented:

“The opening of the new David Nieper Academy school building in February is tremendously exciting for all the students at the school. From September, Sixth Form students will benefit from fantastic teaching facilities including the luxury of an open air terrace on the top floor.

The courses on offer will give students a first-class understanding and experience in business studies and equip them with the practical and interpersonal skills required to succeed in business large or small, and even give them an insight into running their own business. This is a career enhancing option for young people, the world of business is fast paced and exciting and no two days are ever the same.”

Year 11 students considering a career in business should get in touch with [email protected] or call 01773 832 331 for a prospectus.

This week marks the 55^th anniversary of Derbyshire fashion house David Nieper. The occasion was celebrated in a unique fashion event held at Chatsworth House, Derbyshire’s most iconic venue.

In true Nieper family style,  the company’s 250 staff were invited to this black tie event which showcased young local talent, starting with a high octane dance performance to open the catwalk show by students from the new David Nieper Academy.
Students from Chesterfield College provided sensational hair and make-up styling for the models taking inspiration from fashion trends over the half century.

The fashion show was uniquely ‘by the staff for the staff’ and featured some of the designer’s most beautiful vintage pieces taken from the five decades of its fashion archives, before unveiling this season’s new collection as a grand finale.

This anniversary has been just one of many reasons to celebrate throughout the company’s 55 year history. Other milestones have included opening 4 European offices, introducing day wear collections alongside its nightwear and lingerie collections, establishing a knitwear division, a catalogue printing press, a purpose built garment cutting factory and more recently the formation of the David Nieper Education Trust.

However, one thing that has not altered since day one has been the company’s unswerving commitment to British skills. Each and every David Nieper garment has been made from first sketch to final stitch at the fashion house in Derbyshire.

The ‘Made in Britain’ mantra has always been at the heart of the company, over two decades ago the decision was taken to keep producing clothes in the UK while the majority of the UK’s fashion industry went offshore for cheaper labour, since then the company has never looked back.

By keeping manufacturing in Britain, David Nieper has created significant local employment, and tremendous staff loyalty – 50% of David Nieper staff have been with the company for over 10 years.

The sustainable business model has weathered numerous political and economic storms including periods of recession and the recent financial crash. ‘Made in Britain’ brand has become its mantra and a badge of honour, guaranteeing high quality fashion supported by ethically sound and responsible manufacturing.

Christopher Nieper, Managing Director of David Nieper commented:

“This is a people business; people are the secret of our success and our magic ingredient that makes the spools spin, the sewing machines whir and the wheels of commerce turn. Each and every person plays an important role – we are here celebrating 55 years because of our people and people will be the secret of our success in the future.

It has been our family’s privilege to work with such highly skilled individuals over the years and through them to have been able to make a contribution to British fashion and British manufacturing.

This event has been a celebration not just for our own family business but of all that is great about British produced fashion. It has been a show of first class design, luxury fabrics and beautiful craftsmanship. However, what really secures the future of fashion manufacturing in Britain is young talent and passing skills down from the older to the younger generation.

If we, and indeed any UK manufacturer want to be trading in Britain in another 55 years, it is crucial to train and nurture young talent. This is the purpose of our David Nieper Education Trust and it’s only through the creation of a skilled workforce that UK manufacturing can flourish and grow!”