Florence, Italy
Italian flat knitting machine builder showcases unique ultra coarse gauge technology in Florence.
From 25-27 June 2024, Italy’s Mandarin Knitting Technology made its debut at the 95th edition of the Pitti Immagine Filati fair in Florence, showcasing its innovative flat knitting machine, the F20-101TD, which known for its ‘Thick Design’ ultra coarse gauge technology. The machine, which was showcased at ITMA 2023 in Milan, captured the attention of key players in the fashion and textiles industry worldwide.
As the only machine in the world covering the gauges (needles per inch) 1 gauge, 1.5 gauge, and 2 gauge, and capable of reaching 0.5 gauge and 0.75 gauge, with a needlebed width of 100 inches (254 cm), the F20-101TD features feeders for upholstery yarns. This allows the processing and knitting of extremely thick yarns and cords up to 12mm in diameter.
According to Mandarin, the incredible creations on display at Pitti Filati ignited the enthusiasm of stylists and designers and captured the interest of the most prestigious fashion brands, who saw the product as an important innovative stimulus for their future creations.
Custom Easy
Creative director of the Custom Easy space at Pitti Immagine Filati, Maurizio Brocchetto, chose Mandarin as a reference point for the development of an innovative sample collection within Pitti Immagine dedicated to promoting the most advanced technologies. The collaboration further solidifies Mandarin’s leadership in textile innovation.
The company permeated the 95th edition of Pitti Filati with its technology, customising all 60 mannequins for the Custom Easy space, creating two panels for the Research area, and exhibiting various samples in numerous stands. For this edition of Pitti Filati, Mandarin collaborated with the renowned research and development lab D-house Laboratorio Urbano to bring the ‘Boreal Horizons’ concept to life, presenting panels, including some circular ones, further showcasing the technical possibilities offered by Mandarin technology.
Handmade effect
Mandarin Thick Design has captured the interest not only of the clothing sector but also of the furniture, bags, accessories, and nautical sectors, all drawn by the ‘handmade’ effect as the ultimate expression of experimental knitting. The achieved technology encompasses the possibility of using a wide range of yarns, even with experimental materials, which until now were entirely foreign to knitting, expanding the creative horizons of stylists and designers.
The opportunity to work with such thick threads has opened new creative horizons, aimed at producing innovative and high-quality fabrics, offering aesthetic and functional solutions that were previously considered unattainable.
“The combination of technology and creativity has been the winning formula that has made Mandarin the undisputed queen of this important high fashion showcase,” concluded Mandarin’s Niccolò Franchin.
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