#Knitting & Hosiery

2025-06-19

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at Future Fabrics Expo

Leading textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan will participate in the Future Fabrics Expo 2025 exhibition in London, England this month. Held during London Climate Action Week, Future Fabrics Expo showcases sustainably and responsibly produced materials to the textile industry, and is considered a platform for exchange of knowledge and sourcing of sustainable textiles, materials and leading innovations for fashion, home and interior brands.

SHIMA SEIKI is showcasing just such an innovation in the form of its APEXFiz® subscription-based design software. APEXFiz® supports the creative side of fashion from planning and design to colorway evaluation, realistic fabric simulation and 3D virtual sampling for various textiles including flat knitting, circular knitting, weaving, pile weave, socks, embroidery and print. Virtual samples are a digitized version of sample making that are accurate enough to be used effectively as prototypes, replacing physical sampling and consequently reducing time, cost and material that otherwise go to waste. Virtual samples can furthermore be used in e-commerce to gauge consumer demand before production begins, allowing production to be adjusted to optimize inventory and minimize leftover waste. Virtual sampling on APEXFiz® thereby helps to realize sustainability and digitally transform the fashion supply chain.

SHIMA SEIKI will be displaying virtual sample swatches at both the Curated Textiles Area and the SHIMA SEIKI booth to demonstrate just how real and expressive digital simulations can be. Virtual sampling is not limited in use for product planning and design by visitors, but is perfect for consideration by fellow exhibitors as well, as it gives them the opportunity to consider a truly sustainable method of planning, designing and evaluating their sustainable fabrics made from sustainable materials.

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at Intertextile Shanghai

Leading digital textile solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Hong Kong and Chinese market subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI (HONG KONG) LTD., will exhibit at the Intertextile Shanghai Apparel Fabrics Autumn Edition 2025 show in Shanghai, China next month. It will exhibit once again as part of the Digital Solutions Zone which allows visitors various opportunities to partake in the digital revolution that is currently making waves in the apparel industry.

SHIMA SEIKI to exhibit at Preview in Seoul

Leading flat knitting solutions provider SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, together with its Korean subsidiary SHIMA SEIKI KOREA INC., will participate in the 26th edition of Preview in Seoul exhibition in Seoul, Republic of Korea this month, with a lineup of knitting machines and design systems. SHIMA SEIKI will be exhibiting two SWG®091N2 WHOLEGARMENT® knitting machines in different gauges.

SHIMA SEIKI announces partnership with Lonati

Leading computerized flat knitting innovator SHIMA SEIKI MFG., LTD. of Wakayama, Japan, is collaborating with Lonati S.p.A. of Brescia, Italy, to promote digitalization and sustainable product development within the sock industry. This partnership creates a strong synergy by combining SHIMA SEIKI’s APEXFiz® design software and Lonati’s ORION programming software, with the shared goal of helping the industry reduce its reliance on traditional physical sample creation processes.

STOLL in focus:

At the beginning of this year, KARL MAYER announced that it would be shifting its focus back to its core areas of warp knitting, warp preparation and technical textiles. As part of this strategic realignment, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand will be discontinued. The Reutlingen plant will close down on 31 October 2025. Production in China will end in December 2025. This was an extremely difficult decision for KARL MAYER.

KARL MAYER develops seersucker WARP KNITS with even more character and style

Seersucker fabrics are icons of the clothing industry and assure their manufacturers' success. Just in time for ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025, the textile product developers at KARL MAYER have succeeded in creating brand new variants of this material. These fancy newcomers feature unique bubble effects and, with their new dimensionality, inject extra dynamism into the textile surface – and into the market.

The KARL MAYER Warp Knitting Business Unit at ITMA ASIA + CITME 2025

The manufacturing of warp knitting machines has made KARL MAYER a leader in its field. It remains the company’s most important Business Unit today and has established its name as a brand in the warp knitting industry. KARL MAYER stands for the very highest quality, performance and technical progress. In a persistently difficult market environment, the company is seeking to strengthen its outstanding reputation and, above all, focus more than ever on innovation. The man responsible for this reorientation is Axel Wintermeyer, who has been President of the Warp Knitting Business Unit at KARL MAYER since January 2025 and is also part of the Management board.

Rieter reports stable order backlog and strategic progress – outlook for 2025 adjusted

In its Investor Update 2025, Rieter announced an order intake of CHF 203.9 million in the third quarter and CHF 559.3 million after nine months, reflecting a continued cautious investment climate in the textile machinery sector. Sales totaled CHF 121.5 million in the third quarter and CHF 457.7 million for the first nine months of the year, while the order backlog stood at around CHF 590 million as of September 30, 2025.