HUDDERSFIELD nursery products firm Mamas & Papas has put a capital
design plan into action. The firm has opened a design studio in Islington, London, to
complement its existing team at Colne Bridge. Mamas & Papas, which has 32 stores across the UK, said the move
would help the company maintain its reputation for design and innovation. The privately-owned company employs 36 designers as part of a
100-strong design and development team. Design director Nigel Plested said the firm had recruited graduates
from design courses at Central St Martin's College of Art and Design in London, Sheffield Hallam University and Central Lancashire University. He added: "London was the perfect choice for our satellite design
studio. "It is positioned along the canalside design community of Islington
and has provided a foothold in the capital to make our design facility much more flexible. "It is also a stone's throw from our flagship store in Regent
Street." Mr Plested said: "We are delighted with the level of success the
brand has enjoyed during recent years. "But with markets that are ever more competitive, the expansion to
London and an injection of new creativity means we are more excited about tackling new challenges." Mamas & Papas was launched by David and Luisa Scachetti in 1981.
It now has more than 1,000 staff and sells more than 2,500 products.
Turnover totals more than £100m.
The firm's products - including pushchairs, highchairs, cots,
babyware and bedding - are used by celebrities such as Victoria Beckham, Stella McCartney, Anna Friel and Sara Cox. Mamas & Papas will be demonstrating new design prototypes at
exhibitions and trade shows around the world. They include events in New York, USA, and Nuremburg, Germany, next
February. The firm will be also be at events in Miami, USA, in April and
Cologne, Germany, in September.
