More than 140 years after a family journey from Europe laid the foundations for what would become one of New Zealand’s longest-running embroidery businesses, Palmerston North-based Robèrt Embroideries continues to combine heritage craftsmanship with modern production.
“People talk a lot about AI and technology taking over jobs, but embroidery has already lived through that shift.”
Now led by ninth-generation owner Nicky Robèrt, the family business remains deeply embedded in the Manawatū region, providing customised uniforms and embroidery for sports teams, schools, workplaces and community organisations across the lower North Island and beyond.
While embroidery has evolved from a hand-stitched craft to advanced digital machinery, Nicky says the essence of the business has never changed. “People talk a lot about AI and technology taking over jobs, but embroidery has already lived through that shift,” Nicky says. “We moved from hand embroidery to machines a long time ago, but there will always need to be someone with expertise telling the machine what to do.”
That expertise is one of Robèrt Embroideries’ key strengths. The business has an in-house digitiser who approaches designs with the eye of a traditional embroiderer, controlling stitch placement and density to ensure a high-quality finish. “We’re very particular about everything that leaves this building,” Nicky says. “If we’re not happy with it, it doesn’t go out the door. My team all shares the same high standards.”
Robèrt Embroideries’ story stretches back to 18th-century France, before the family established an embroidery business in Soho, London. In 1878, Charles Robèrt travelled to New Zealand and settled in Palmerston North, initially opening a general store before returning to embroidery in 1882.
Over the decades, the company has embroidered everything from early sports uniforms and Masonic regalia to military garments, including the original 1905 All Blacks jerseys. More recently, its work has featured on international projects such as Disney’s Mulan, where the team produced intricate embroidery using rare thread sourced from Germany.
But for Nicky, the business’s “why” runs deeper than heritage or technical capability. “The biggest thing for me has always been my staff,” she says. “I went back through our family history to understand why each generation kept this business going, and it was always about looking after people.”
That commitment was most evident during the Great Depression, when a previous generation deliberately created work to ensure staff could remain employed, even at personal financial cost. “That’s my why as well,” Nicky says. “Creating a safe, supportive and flexible workplace.”
Living with her own health challenges, Nicky has built a work environment that allows flexibility and understanding, helping staff manage personal circumstances without fear or stigma.
Despite its long history, Nicky says many locals still don’t realise the business exists until they need it. “We’re not a business that shouts from the rooftops,” she says. “A lot of what we do is for sports teams and community groups, and our contribution is in the work we do.”
With no minimum order requirements, competitively priced services and the ability to produce one-off personalised items, Robèrt Embroideries continues to support both established organisations and a growing wave of new businesses. “We know uniforms and branding can feel overwhelming,” Nicky says. “Our job is to make it simple and to give people confidence in the finished product.”
After more than a century of change, challenge and reinvention, Robèrt Embroideries’ future remains grounded in the same principle that has guided it since 1882 — doing quality work, supporting the community and putting people first.
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