In September this year, leading fabrics show Première Vision (PV) will be presenting the third edition of Knitwear Solutions, a platform dedicated to creative flat knitted fabrics and garments. Initiated in September 2012, this area has, in only two seasons, PV says, confirmed its legitimacy at the world’s premier fabric show.

The area is designed to round out the Première Vision textile offer, and provide concrete solutions to designers, product heads and buyers specialised in flat knits. It also provides a real answer to the current needs at brands, whose collections have a steadily growing proportion of flat knits. According to PV, flat knits now constitute 20% - 40% of the ready-to-wear collections at creative brands.

“Visitors can now find overall product solutions across the Première Vision Pluriel shows. The complementarity of the shows’ offer lets them organise their visit efficiently, helping them elaborate their entire collection seamlessly and quickly,” the organisers say.

“This new edition should definitively establish Knitwear Solutions as the event of reference in the sector. Knitwear Solutions is in full expansion, and as of September will be located in Hall 6. The aim is to give a new dimension to the area, and to strengthen the offer and visibility of the flatbed knit sector at the show.”

Rich and creative offer shows strong growth

According to PV, Knitwear Solutions is marking a turning point this season, as demonstrated by the richness and diversity of the next session’s offer.

The area already has 50* confirmed visitors (versus 26 in September 2012), including 24 new companies, each rigorously selected by a committee of experts and international professionals. “If one counts the 15 studios specialised in knits who will be presenting their work at the Indigo show (the creative textile & surface design show), the offer comes to 65 specialists in creative flatbed knits, in total, exhibiting at Knitwear Solutions. They will be showing their collections for autumn winter 14-15, their know-how and their technology,” PV adds.

This edition sees a significant increase in the offer of leading spinners of cashmere, wool and cotton. In addition to an international, cutting-edge and diverse selection of knitters of all sizes - from mass market to limited series - and for all markets - from mid/top-range to luxury, women’s, men’s and children’s.

Knitwear Solutions also means a diverse offer in terms of natural materials - with exclusive noble fibres (alpaca, lama, etc.) classics (cashmere), fine wools, cotton - and a range of styles that includes fancy knits, complex jacquards and intarsias, coarse to extra fine gauges, original prints, blends of materials, refined finishings, and more.

The show presents a broad spectrum of knitters from Europe (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Turkey), Asia (China, Hong Kong), and for the first time, South America (Peru and Bolivia), a region specialised in new noble fibres such as alpaca and lama. Also present will be spinners from Italy, China and  Bulgaria, often the leaders in their domain (cashmere, wool, or cotton), in addition to a machine and technology manufacturer from Japan. This offer is rounded out by the knit studios present at Indigo, in the north area of Hall 5.

Knitwear Focus Forum

To celebrate the creativity of the flat knitters and accompany buyers in their product development, Première Vision has once again collaborated with knit designer Xavier Brisoux to create specific developments for the Knitwear Solutions fashion information forum.

This season, in line with the implementation of a new approach to fashion information at Première Vision, the Knitwear Focus Forum will be inaugurated. Within the Knitwear Solutions platform, it will highlight the expertise and creativity of exhibitors through a selection of products and specific seasonal developments.

For autumn winter 14/15, in a display designed by Bettina Witzel to enhance this specific activity sector, the central fashion theme at Knitwear Focus will be knit garment proportions. The idea is to play with dimensions to shape volume differently, and give knit pieces a new and original place in the overall silhouette. From caps to dresses, and through the use of simple shapes, new measurements will be explored: unusual lengths, widened then narrowed widths, elongated sleeves, reduced shoulders, and more.

Finally, to underline the common thread running through this winter edition, a hat designed by Xavier Brisoux will add a knit touch to the outfit worn by the show’s hostesses’, who wear clothes and shoes designed by Bensimon.

* includes the number of new exhibitors at Knitwear Solutions as of 3 July 2013

Download the preview of the 24 new companies which will exhibiting at Knitwear Solutions