Where we came from
A truly British brand. Welcome to David Nieper, and six decades of stylish design. We’re proud to craft beautiful, timeless pieces for your wardrobe, using skills honed and perfected over two generations. Our brand is built on a belief in quality not quantity; a passion for enduring style over fleeting trends. While other brands squabble in the race for fast fashion, we rely on the eye and hand of true craftsmanship. Just as we have since our beginning. Discover our story here.
3:2
David and Roe Nieper in 1961
Premium style from the start
A flair for the Arts is woven into the Nieper family tree. David Nieper's great-grandfather was an eminent portrait painter and director of the Academy of Fine Arts in Leipzig. His father and grandmother were both concert pianists. Their creative talent has been passed down through the generations and flows through the family. It was with these genes that David Nieper founded our company in 1961.
Our brand is born
It's the 1960s. Designs are bursting and fizzing. It’s the age of Carnaby Street and The Beatles – and an exciting time for fashion. It was amid this era-defining backdrop that David Nieper began cutting out nightdress templates on his living room floor with his wife, Roe. They were inspired by the styles of the moment and a shared commitment to high-quality garments. They designed clothes women wanted – ones that flattered and fit that little bit better.
The brand began in an old Nissen hut, rented from the local council for £3 a week. The hut was based in Alfreton, Derbyshire, which is where you will still find us today.
As the new decade unfolded, David Nieper Ltd. outgrew its little hut and moved to larger premises in Alfreton. The designs became known for their distinctive British quality and fit-and-flatter silhouettes, and caught the eye of buyers at Selfridges and Harrods. Joanna Lumley modelled in our first colour photoshoot.
4:3
1:1
1:1
Department stores and boutique shops
The family honed their nightwear styles to create an elegant collection in pure Swiss cotton. Boutiques began to take note and, before long, women could find David Nieper clothes in around 400 fashion shops across the country. Department stores were equally impressed, and stocked the nightdresses in their city centre shops. John Lewis placed their first order in the early sixties.
Customers start to buy direct
From the 1980s, customers can shop the styles directly with the launch of our first catalogue. Exceptional customer service becomes a hallmark of our brand. Recent years have been just as exciting. We started handcrafting premium, fully fashioned knitwear in 2017 and opened an on-site fabric print factory two years later. Overseeing every stage does more than maintain our exacting standards; it allows us to provide jobs for local people and is far more sustainable than manufacturing offshore.
We are now proud to have a team of 250 staff; over half have been with us for ten years or more.
5:2
Beresford House, our sustainable print factory in Derbyshire
David Nieper today
A lot has changed, but a lot hasn’t. We are still led by the same family values and commitment to British-based manufacturing. Our designs are still enduring and crafted by hand, bringing you pieces to love and customer service as it used to be. And, while we’re excited to develop, we know that some things are best when they stay the same. Why not discover the David Nieper difference for yourself?
16:9
Christopher Nieper
Christopher
David and Roe’s eldest son, Christopher, joined the business in 1986. Before this, he had sailed the Atlantic as a 19-year-old and launched a furniture repair business.
Christopher has led our brand for the last 15 years and received an OBE in 2020 for services to UK manufacturing and apprenticeship development.
Supporting our Derbyshire community is very important to Christopher. He formed an education trust in 2015 to sponsor local state education. The Christopher Nieper Education Trust now supports three schools, inspiring 1,200 pupils through a special focus on employability and life skills.
Christopher is a sportsman, father of four and long-suffering beekeeper.
top
top
Louise
Our Director of Design, Louise, rose through the ranks in the design teams at George at Asda and Marks & Spencer before moving back to her Derbyshire hometown. Louise joined David Nieper in 2012 and has an eye for the beautiful, trend-outlasting clothes you love to wear. She is also a past student of the local secondary school, now the David Nieper Academy.
Fusing style with comfort is at the heart of Louise’s approach. She understands what the modern woman wants from her wardrobe – clothes that fit, and answer the needs of life’s every moment. Louise is passionate about the prints her team source and design, often from original watercolour paintings. Because this is part of the David Nieper difference – bright and timeless pieces, exclusively made here in Britain.
5:2
Made in Britain Since 1961
Quality from the heart of DerbyshireWe are a British fashion business committed to being world class in everything we do. We design and make premium quality clothes for women over 50, right here in Derbyshire – the traditional home of British textiles.We use time-honoured techniques and put loving care into every stitch, and we offer a wide range of sizes – all expertly designed and cut to fit and flatter.
6:5
David Nieper
A Culture of Quality
We’re proud of our dressmaking heritage
We are committed to manufacturing here in the UK and to preserving traditional skills. Step into our sewing or knitting rooms, or talk to our customer services team and you will hear and see excellence in action.Every single person puts pride into their work – whether they are designing or making clothes, speaking to our customers or working behind the scenes.
Nurturing Traditional Skills
We put quality at the heart of everything we do. We nurture traditional skills that have been passed down for generations, and we look to the future with cutting edge technology and innovations.
1.59:1
1.59:1
Investing in Our Community
Committed to Skills and Education
We care about the community we live and work in, so we give back in any way we can. We invest in education and skills in our local area and run a sewing academy to nurture dressmaking skills, ensuring they are always up to our high standards.
We offer apprenticeships and internships to people in further and higher education, and we're very proud to sponsor our local school here in Alfreton; David Nieper Academy. In fact, many of the children who attend the academy have relatives working at David Nieper.
“Sponsoring David Nieper Academy is our way of investing in the future and giving something back to this wonderful community”- Christopher Nieper OBE DL, Chief Executive
3:2
3:2
21:9
Our Family Business
We are a family business and a real community of hardworking, dedicated people. We all care about what we do, we care about each other and we care most of all about our customers – and that shows in everything we do and everything we make. Giving our customers superb quality clothing that fits well and looks beautiful is what drives us every day. We also support many charities and are particularly keen to get behind the causes our customers care about.
“Helping to Make Britain Great Again”
“My dress is fantastic and a perfect fit. The attention to detail is most impressive. Your lovely company is helping to make Britain great again.”Ms J.C, Ayr