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Pickles & Fred’s baby range was introduced as a result of a gap in the market for high quality, 100% cotton, natural baby products. The combined experience of founder Nicki von Arx and her talented sewing groups from disadvantaged, informal communities in Cape Town, have produced a baby range that not only looks beautiful but brings more light and love to the lives of the children these sewing groups support.
Pickles & Fred was started in 2003 after Nicki von Arx returned to South Africa after 5 years in the UK working for mother and baby retailer, Mothercare. Prior to that Nicki worked at a ladies’ fashion retailer in South Africa called Truworths. Having gained almost 10 years’ buying experience and having had a child of her own, Nicki has great insight into the complexity of product development and its importance.
Developing baby products requires respect for safety and comfort along with technological expertise. This knowledge needs to be married carefully with functionality and design.
Nicki began by setting up sewing groups in the informal communities in Cape Town’s underprivileged areas. After months of development a special, dedicated group of HIV-positive women who were committed to the income-generating project emerged.
This income-generating project is based in Nyanga, Cape Town. Their aim is to develop a model of holistic, community-based care for AIDS-affected children and their caregivers. This is being pioneered in Nyanga, which has 72% unemployment and a high HIV prevalence. The mothers are all destitute and HIV positive.
All the seamstresses are placed into the training programme where they learn additional skills in order to earn an income while their children are cared for in the day-care centre.
This group of talented women have now been working for Pickles & Fred for the past four years. Nicki is delighted that her individual creations have been brought to life over time by these women who take pride in all that they do.
Pickles & Fred has supplied a large retailer called Woolworths (M&S equivalent) for three years and is now stocked in 21 boutique stores nationwide in South Africa.
Pickles & Fred was started in 2003 after Nicki von Arx returned to South Africa after 5 years in the UK working for mother and baby retailer, Mothercare. Prior to that Nicki worked at a ladies’ fashion retailer in South Africa called Truworths. Having gained almost 10 years’ buying experience and having had a child of her own, Nicki has great insight into the complexity of product development and its importance.Developing baby products requires respect for safety and comfort along with technological expertise. This knowledge needs to be married carefully with functionality and design.
Nicki began by setting up sewing groups in the informal communities in Cape Town’s underprivileged areas. After months of development a special, dedicated group of HIV-positive women who were committed to the income-generating project emerged.
This income-generating project is based in Nyanga, Cape Town. Their aim is to develop a model of holistic, community-based care for AIDS-affected children and their caregivers. This is being pioneered in Nyanga, which has 72% unemployment and a high HIV prevalence. The mothers are all destitute and HIV positive.
All the seamstresses are placed into the training programme where they learn additional skills in order to earn an income while their children are cared for in the day-care centre.
This group of talented women have now been working for Pickles & Fred for the past four years. Nicki is delighted that her individual creations have been brought to life over time by these women who take pride in all that they do.
Pickles & Fred has supplied a large retailer called Woolworths (M&S equivalent) for three years and is now stocked in 21 boutique stores nationwide in South Africa.
