© Santoni.

The need for new textiles in post COVID-19 era is explored in a fascinating new Water-repellent Seamless Textiles project, a collaboration between seamless knitting machinery manufacturer Santoni Shanghai and design consultants Studio Eva X Carola.

In the project, which explores the impact of home working on clothing needs post coronavirus, a series of new materials is developed for seamlesswear, that fulfil the functions – hybridity, visual amazement, safety and protection, and health and wellbeing. As the world starts to get back to work, from home or otherwise, Knitting Industry spoke to Shanghai based Eva de Laat and Carola Leegwater of Studio Eva X Carola about the project.

Working from home

“Millions of people are now working from home due to COVID-19. According to newspapers like The Guardian, this could lead to a permanent shift towards working from home for many employees once the pandemic is over. Employers are realising the many benefits of working from home, such as higher productivity and savings of over $11,000 per person,” Eva de Laat begins.

“Working from home allows employees to spend more time with their families, save money on commuting, live in cheaper rural areas and lower their carbon footprint. As a result of these insights, it’s estimated that 25-30 million US employees will start to work from home regularly over the next 2 years.”

The figures for the increase in home working post pandemic are staggering, especially in large populations like the USA. Living in the ‘new normal’ is already having a massive impact on the clothing we wear.

Eva de Laat continues: “This rapidly growing trend means there’s a demand for clothing to wear when working from home. For efficiency and comfort, the majority of home workers tend to wear the same clothes throughout the day. But the day is still divided into different activities. This means there’s a need for clothing that is multifunctional and fulfils different needs at once.”

Read the full story on our Knitting Industry Creative website