#Knitting & Hosiery

2025-10-16

Seersucker - the hot item in fashion today

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

FASHION Seersucker. Design:SARA LINKE Foto:© Andre Leischner Fotografie

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 innovation behind these stylish seersucker warp knits is KARL MAYER‘s new 4-bar tricot machine, which will be launched at the leading trade fair and fully exploits the advantages of its 2" shogging line.

The pattern itself is produced using tried-and-tested methods: GB 3 and GB 4 make the fabric ground structure, while GB 1 and GB 2 knit a core yarn with an elastane core and polyamide covering for plasticity. The polyamide protects the core from wear and tear and optimises the colouring. A multifilament yarn is used to ensure a soft feel. Texturing takes the elasticity of the elastane into account.

A novel feature is the processing of the core yarn in long underlaps, for example to create sweeping, overlapping, curved zigzag patterns. The intersections of the wavy lines mark the corners of large diamonds, which are pulled together by the elasticity and pushed outwards, producing a bubble-like shape on the fabric’s surface. This creates a dynamic, structured look with extraordinary three-dimensional appeal. Fashionable prints can enhance this even further, fuelling the seersucker trend.

At the trade fair, the new four-bar tricot machine will produce four different patterns, including a sequence of the designs.

Anyone looking for more inspiration and new ideas all around seersucker is warmly invited to visit the textile show at the KARL MAYER stand. KARL MAYER looks forward to welcoming guests to its stand A 301 in Hall 5 of the Singapore EXPO.

More Jacquard. More functionality. More fashion.

With the addition of another member to its successful RASCHELTRONIC® family, KARL MAYER is opening up new possibilities for creative product development for warp knitting mills and brands. The RJ 4/2 EL offers with two stitch-forming Jacquard bars entirely new design options for functional sportswear and bi-elastic lingerie. Available in gauges E 28 and E 32, this new model helps manufacturers set their collections apart from the competition. The fine E-32 gauges, in particular, impress with their clean surface, a pleasantly soft feel, and an exceptionally elegant look.

KARL MAYER's HKS 2-SE Expands Possibilities for Premium Stretch WARP KNITS

Warp knitted fabrics with a woven look are more in demand than ever in the fashion and apparel industries. Stretch WARP KNITS, in particular, impress with their freedom of movement, breathability, and virtually wrinkle-free wear – thereby opening up new style worlds such as smart casual or business casual. When it comes to the highly efficient production of premium-quality stretch WARP KNITS, the HKS 2-SE has long been the machine of choice. KARL MAYER’s best-selling tricot machine produces standard elastic fabrics characterized by high gauges, smooth, delicate surfaces, and a soft hand feel.

Footwear innovation enabled by warp knitting technology– insights from New Balance

The future of the athletic shoe is increasingly being shaped on warp knitting machines. For KARL MAYER, the footwear industry is one of the most important growth markets – and one of the sectors where innovative textiles can realize their full potential. In his keynote address at the opening of KARL MAYER’s TEXTILE INNOVATION CENTER in Obertshausen in April, Vishnu Prakash Muthusamy, Senior Textile and Materials Engineer at New Balance, explained the opportunities that warp knitting technology opens up for performance, sustainability, and faster development processes, and why textile manufacturers are transitioning from suppliers to development partners.

ITM 2026: Mayer & Cie. Global presents itself successfully at international industry trade fair

Mayer & Cie. Global has used ITM 2026 in Istanbul for its first major international appearance since the restart. Together with the Turkish representative Mayer Mümessillik, the company presented its premium circular knitting machines "Made in Germany", explained its future positioning within the group of companies and held talks with customers and representatives from numerous markets. The response to the restart was positive. The clear orientation of the company, the reliable worldwide network of representatives and the resumption of service and spare parts supply were welcomed by customers.

STOLL: Agreement signed for the divestiture of selected assets

In early 2025, KARL MAYER announced its strategic decision to focus on its core business areas of WARP KNITTING, WARP PREPARATION, and TECHNICAL TEXTILES. As part of this move, the flat knitting machine business under the STOLL brand was discontinued and the production site in Reutlingen was closed in October 2025.

EU ban on destroying unsold clothing and footwear now in force

The European Union's ban on the destruction of unsold clothing, clothing accessories and footwear has entered into force. Since July 19, 2026, large companies across the EU have been prohibited from destroying unsold textile products, while medium-sized companies will be required to comply with the same rules from 2030.

Eastman Naia™ brings its inside-out denim vision to Kingpins New York

Following its debut at Kingpins Amsterdam, Eastman Naia™ brings the next chapter of its denim story to Kingpins New York, taking place July 22–23. At Booth Green 7, Naia™ presents its denim proposition built around three complementary design directions: Performance Denim, Fashion Denim and Authentic Denim.