About
Our Why
Pico Vela exists to push the boundaries of knitwear, and to champion women of all beauty.
The Pico Vela Story
After attending Parsons School of Design in NYC and Paris, where she won the Student Designer of the Year Award, Nicole Alfieri spent several years working around the globe. She was deeply inspired by the colors of Italy, Nepal and India. Nicole discovered that by working with different yarns and mixing hues, she could produce rich and unique patterns and colors. Learning to knit on a handloom, Nicole was soon captivated by the natural spontaneity of patterns that strands of yarn produce as they move through the handloom during the knitting process.
The first sweater Nicole ever made was for her son. By merging her own name with her son’s name, the brand Pico Vela was born.
Influence
Inspired by the spontaneity and unique creations from the knitting process, Nicole saw different perspectives of beauty. Since then, she has challenged the traditional expectations of knitwear and designs pieces that empower women of all shapes and beauty.
Natural and Organic Yarns
Pico Vela designs pieces that people love inside and out. Pico Vela sweaters are handcrafted with natural fibers, our own proprietary blends of organic cotton, bamboo, and linen. When women wear their pieces, they feel soft and beautiful against their skin.
With each yarn combination we are trying to achieve a specific drape and color shade for that particular style, while appreciating the natural unpredictability of what happens to color and yarn as it moves through the handloom during the knitting process. It is this process that gives each sweater a unique color blend, so that no two sweaters are the same.
Knitwear For All Women
Because every woman is unique, it is important that each piece is designed to be as versatile as ever - each piece can be worn multiple ways. Pico Vela believes women should be able to wear their pieces their own way. As a matter of fact, a number of the pieces are designed to be one size fits all.
Empowering Artisans
Pico Vela's collections are designed in Washington, DC, and hand loomed by a small team of artisans there and also across the US. Pico Vela is empowering artisans in under developed communities by helping them preserve their beautiful craft and providing them with sustainable work.
