How did Nature Baby come about?
Back in 1998 the choice of things available for babies was very limited, and I couldn’t believe that most of what was around was very synthetic and unnatural. I didn’t want to dress my baby in sweaty polyester so that’s where our journey began, because I thought other people would surely find the same thing and want more natural and chemical free products for their babies.

We first started Nature Baby as a mail order company in Auckland 11 years ago and we now have two concept stores in Grey Lynn and Newmarket, an online store and distribution throughout the world.


Do you produce all of your products yourselves and are they made in New Zealand?
All our products are made of only natural fibres like Organic Merino and Organic Cotton and are of the highest quality, purity, safety and are produced in such a way that cares for the earth and its workers. So all our goods are manufactured where the raw materials are grown and we design our clothing ourselves.
As cotton is not grown in NZ, our organic cotton clothing is made in India by a company with extremely strong ethical values. It’s grown and processed without the use of harmful chemicals, then hand-produced in organic farming communities for the benefit of all people taking part in the production process.
Our organic merino wool garments have been produced from sheep that have been raised organically and have not been subjected to the conventional chemical process of dipping, drenching and scouring. This means our Organic Merino Wool range is completely free of chemicals and 100% made in New Zealand.

Has it been difficult to create a store with chemical free products for children?
There are always challenges you face when starting up a new business as everything was new. It was a new idea and I really didn’t expect the amount of consumer education about the benefits of natural products etc that was necessary.

Nowadays things are very different; for example, when we first started selling organic merino, people were very suspicious of wool; they thought it would be very itchy, and hard to care for. Now people recognise what a wonderful versatile fibre it is.

How has the market changed over the years since you started Nature Baby?
In the last ten years we have seen a big change in attitude with many people embracing the values and ideas that we embody and produce. We hope to keep on growing, and producing a wider range that can encompass a wider market. We love what we are doing because it feels so good. We love producing good quality natural and organic products and we love people loving them - so we can keep doing it!


What are you most proud of in the Nature Baby range?
I am really proud about all our products, but I am especially proud of our organic merino clothing range. Unlike most merino brands, the Nature Baby range is truly organic as the wool is from merino sheep that are raised solely on organic farms, which have a high level of animal welfare and a natural chemical free environment.

I am excited about this range because it is very good for babies as there are absolutely no chemical residues and it’s also very good as it promotes organic farming and agriculture which is an important step in making the world a more sustainable place for future generations.


What ideas have you put in place to run Nature Baby with an environmental perspective?
The whole philosophy behind Nature Baby is to produce and sell products to help preserve our environment and help naturally care for and educate our future generations.

This is reflected in everything we sell and do from using recycled packaging and paper, printing with vegetable based inks, using only sustainable materials in our clothing and implementing workplace eco initiatives in our stores, offices and warehouse. 

With thanks to Georgia Faull of Nature Baby

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