Tokyo - Uniqlo is stepping up its collaboration with computerized flat knitting machine builder Shima Seiki with the retail giant looking to introduce on-demand, WHOLEGARMENT knitwear.
The project represents the next step in an ongoing relationship between the retailer, owned by parent company, Fast Retailing, and the knitting machine manufacturer.
In 2017, Uniqlo launched a collection which featured items created with 3D U-Knit, a three-dimensional knitting technique that employs Shima Seiki's WHOLEGARMENT technology to enhance fit and comfort.
3D U-Knit was developed at the Innovation Factory, which was set up in 2016 as a means of establishing a new production system for the Japan-based fashion retailer to utilize Shima's latest knit production technologies.
When it was first launched, 3D U-Knit was described as the first stage in the Uniqlo quest to redefine quality knitwear. This latest stage in the partnership would seem to be the next logical step in the chain with customers able to purchase on-demand knitwear such as sweaters and dresses. Fast Retailing said it is looking to make this service available on a large scale but did not say when this would be available.
WHOLEGARMENT uses the latest knitting machine technology to produce knitwear three-dimensionally in one entire piece, eliminating seams. Since its inception in 1995, the development of WHOLEGARMENT technology, such as the Slide Needle (whereby a slider mechanism replaces the conventional latch, expanding possibilities in knit and transfer, with increased number of knitting techniques, wider gauge range, higher quality fabrics, better efficiency and the ability to support a variety of production methods including shaping, integral knitting and WholeGarment production) means that the overall costs of producing knitwear has come down.
A key advantage of this technology has therefore become its flexibility and speed, empowering designers to perfectly materialize their visions. However, while WHOLEGARMENT has primarily been the domain of knitwear from fashion houses, employing this technology through its close partnership with Shima Seiki has helped Uniqlo increase access to knitwear with unprecedented refinement at affordable prices.
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