Germany’s Mayer & Cie., the leading circular knitting machine builder is celebrating this week. In Mayer & Cie. celebrates Relanit’s 30th anniversary we hear about three decades of development and application, with some great reflections from some of the company’s technical staff who were involved with the technology at launch in 1987 in Mayer & Cie. technicians recall early days of Relanit.

3D knitting seminar

Also in technology news, leading flat knitting machines builder Shima Seiki has announced it will hold a fourth edition of its Global 3D (G3D) Knitting Seminar & Workshop – see Shima to hold knitting seminar in Los Angeles for full details.

Also on the flat knitting front, leading fine gauge knitwear brand John Smedley has joined the ranks of Knitting Industry advertisers, posting ads for Shima programmers and knitters – see The world's finest programmer? and The world’s finest knitter? To apply.

Brooklyn-based brand Thursday Finest is turning the traditional manufacturing process upside-down by letting customers take control of the design stage and tailoring Merino flat knitted wool socks specifically to individual feet. Read all about it in US brand introduces customised Merino wool socks.

Smart textiles update

Staying stateside, we’ve got a great report from Debra Cobb from the recent Smart Fabrics Program and E-Textiles Workshop at the IFAI EXPO in New Orleans, which takes a hard look at smart fabric development and commercialisation - Why smart textiles are struggling to become commercialised.

Premiere Vision

On the subject of trade shows, Breaking traditional patterns at Premiere Vision, a report from Janet Prescott, tells us how PV featured a great deal of energy and exuberance. The show’s Cloud of Fashion was a good title for the soft and mousse-like effects, which permeated the offer, applying particularly to knitwear and knitted fabrics. Fabrics had extra finishes bringing traditional striped cotton jerseys into fashion and athleisure, Janet reports.

UK hosiery revival talks

Meanwhile in the UK, the news is that major British multinational retailer Marks & Spencer is considering playing a pivotal role in the revival of a pioneering fashion hosiery brand Adria, which closed over a decade ago. Adria, was founded in 1961 by the late Rolf Noskwith, a Bletchley Park codebreaker, who went on to take over his father’s textiles business. The company became a fashion industry pioneer by responding to the swinging Sixties trend for miniskirts with seam-free stockings, which ended below short hemlines. See M&S to help revive hosiery supplier Adria for the full story.

Lenzing enters filament market

Finally, in Lenzing enters filament market with Tencel Luxe we hear how the Lenzing Group has launched a new product - Tencel Luxe branded lyocell filament - at an exclusive event in Paris, entering the filament market for the first time. According to the company, the launch marks another key milestone in the implementation of its sCore TEN strategy and will further support Lenzing’s shift to become a true speciality player in the botanic materials market derived from sustainable wood sources.

Billy Hunter

Editor