#Knitting & Hosiery

2021-01-07

Oxman’s Silk Pavilion II arrives at Integral

Esquel proudly presents Silk Pavilion II from the Mediated Matter Group at the MIT Media Lab. The centerpiece of the project is on display from November 2020 in the Learning Center at Integral.

Exhibited at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMa) in New York earlier in 2020, Silk Pavilion II is one of the most recent iconic works of Neri Oxman, award-winning architect, designer, inventor and professor of media arts and sciences at the MIT Media Lab.

Exploration, as part of the eCulture, prompts us to stay curious and to always keep learning and innovating. Silk Pavilion II is here to serve as a conspicuous reminder that disruptive technologies are constantly knocking on our door, and we shall never get complacent with the status quo. Blurring the boundaries of engineering, biology, art and computer science, Oxman’s project aims not only to take our breath away with the astounding construction, but also leave us inspired by what can be achieved from cross-disciplinary innovations.

Through her work, Oxman offers a version of future where architecture and manufacturing can work synergistically with nature rather than dominating over it. This makes the scenic campus of Integral a perfect home to the masterpiece. It accentuates Esquel’s commitment to sustainability as embodied in the development model of Integral. The goal to also create value for the environment in our pursuit of business growth and industry leadership is firmly embedded in Esquel’s (hardware), operations, products and people.

More about Silk Pavilion II

In the Silk Pavilion II project, Neri Oxman asks what may be the radically sustainable methods for knitting, making and building in the age of the Anthropocene, and how humankind and other species like silkworms may collaborate in the construction of objects, products and buildings. Standing six meters tall and five meters wide, Silk Pavilion II offers insights into these questions by combining kinetic manufacturing with biological construction, uniting the built and the grown, fusing technology and biology.

It is comprised of three interrelated layers – firstly the innermost one-dimensional steel cable system, secondly a two-dimensional soluble knitted fabric scaffold, and thirdly a three-dimensional structure biologically spun with the output of 17,532 Italian silkworms sourced from one of the most extensive silkworm rearing facilities in Europe.

The structure was produced horizontally, with a jig to enable constant clockwise rotation that facilitated the silkworms’ upward spinning motion. Structural forces were biochemically influenced according to local environmental factors. The final appearance, including the holes and the variations in thickness, paints a metabolic canvas of the silkworms’ behaviors.

Traditional silk harvesting involves boiling the cocoon and killing the larva. The project demonstrates that man-made engineering setup can be used to guide the silkworms’ movement and silk deposition, so that the silkworms can still mature and reproduce after the fabrication process.

Silk Pavilion II was Neri Oxman’s centerpiece of her solo exhibition at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York from February to October 2020. It is a sequel to Silk Pavilion, which Oxman created in 2013 on the ground floor of MIT Media Lab with a swarm of 6,500 silkworms.

“Production is a product”

From technical textiles and AI-driven robotics to the limitations of textile circularity: Professor Dr Thomas Gries looks back on more than two decades of development at ITA Aachen. In the interview, he explains why production technology remains a decisive success factor, discusses international collaborations and innovation ecosystems, and shares his views on the transformation of production landscapes and the challenges facing an increasingly regulated industry.

“We need to move away from the price trap and return to a value-driven mindset.”

With its new Textile Innovation Center, KARL MAYER is sending a strong signal for innovation, collaboration, and the future of textile applications. In this interview, Karl Josef Mayer discusses new opportunities in warp knitting, the processing of staple fibres, recycling, the changing role of machinery manufacturers, and why the textile industry must once again focus more strongly on the value of textiles. by Oliver Schmidt

“Innovation, resilience and international experience remain the great strengths of the Swiss textile machinery industry”

Geopolitical uncertainty, growing competitive pressure from China, new free trade agreements and the shift towards a circular economy are currently reshaping the global textile industry. In this interview, Cornelia Buchwalder discusses the current mood within the Swiss textile machinery sector, the industry’s distinctive innovative strength, new market opportunities in India and Asia, and the technological trends that could shape the upcoming trade fair cycle leading up to ITMA 2027.

KARL MAYER presents a textile TEXTRONIC® innovation at ITM 2026

With highly efficient machines and continuous textile innovations, KARL MAYER underscores its role as a reliable partner for discerning top-tier customers. Just in time for ITM 2026 in Istanbul, the industry leader is introducing a true innovation: an eyelash lace with its characteristic fringed look – combined with a previously unattainable 4-way stretch. While the established fabric could until now only be produced as rigid version or with one-dimensional stretch, the new elasticity in both dimensions expands the possibilities for cross-band panel fabrics.

TM WEFT, 270" – More width, more design freedom for the fashion world

KARL MAYER is expanding its successful TM WEFT series with an innovative model that opens up new possibilities, particularly in the fashion & apparel sectors. With a working width of 270", this new machine with weft-insertion not only offers significantly higher output than its narrower counterparts but is also specifically tailored to the demands of dynamic clothing market – particularly in China and Türkiye. A well-thought-out upgrade also ensures even greater design versatility.

SHIMA SEIKI to show complete knitting and cutting workflow at ITM 2026

Leading computerized flat knitting technology provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Turkish representative TETAS IC VE DIS TICARET A.S., will participate in the ITM 2026 International Textile Machinery Exhibition in Istanbul, Türkiye this month with a full product lineup. In addition to flat knitting machines and design software, visitors will also have the opportunity to experience the full range of SHIMA SEIKI textile machinery with its automatic cutting machine exhibit, all geared toward the fashion apparel market as well as non-apparel related businesses.

DYNEEMA® and NP Aerospace advance personal protection for military servicewomen

Dyneema®, owned by Avient Corporation, an innovator of materials solutions, is supplying its high-performance unidirectional (UD) materials to world-leading armor manufacturer NP Aerospace, enabling the production of armor systems designed specifically to fit the female body. With 2,000 new armor systems, including 4,000 plates, made in the United Kingdom (UK) and delivered in June 2026, this collaboration addresses a long-standing lack of high-quality personal protection specially built for female defense and security personnel.

Textile Exchange publishes comprehensive polyester LCA study

Textile Exchange has released a new Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) study on polyester, providing detailed data on the environmental impacts of both virgin and recycled polyester production. The study aims to strengthen understanding across the fashion, textile and apparel industries and support more informed decision-making regarding polyester sourcing and production.