The knitting industry has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few decades from hand knitting machines to computerised systems. Not only has the technology changed but the market has, too, now that sustainability is heavily on the agenda.
One company that has witnessed it all and is now reimagining its future is the knit and dancewear brand, KD New York.
Back in 1980 after joining the Oakland Ballet as a dancer, Lee met a fellow ballerina called Tricia Kaye. One evening, she invited him over for dinner and while they were waiting for their meal, Kaye showed him the leg warmers she was making.
“She sat down and started knitting and I sat at the other machine opposite and tried to copy what she was doing,” explains Lee. “That’s quite literally how it all started.”
They began making and wearing their designs and eventually people started asking about where they got the garments from. One thing led to another and in 1983 they set up the brand and moved to New York where the first pieces were made on hand-flat knitting machines. The company regularly sold products to dancers in the New York City Ballet and to the American Ballet Theatre.
In 1985, KD moved to Chelsea and then growing demand led them to move to the Bronx two years later where they opened their own factory and remained until earlier this year.
Moving towards plant-based products
Today’s designs include leg warmers, wrap sweaters and leggings – typical go-to garments for rehearsals and athleisure. KD New York has always opted to make its designs from natural materials and produces a soft stretch as opposed to compression wear. Now, KD’s latest innovation is Vegetable Cashmere.
“We had a yarn years ago that was an acrylic-cashmere blend and was sourced from an Italian mill,” says Lee. “It was only about 5% cashmere but because of this, people were willing to pay more and because of the higher acrylic content, it was also machine washable – something that is necessary for activewear.
“Unfortunately, they stopped making it and so I looked around for a similar product, but no one wanted to produce it.”
At this point, Lee reconsidered what he wanted in a textile. He decided to search for something that had the same value as cashmere in terms of quality and feel, but he didn’t want to use animal fibre and wanted to ensure that it was a more sustainable option.
You see, traditional animal fibre cashmere comes from the soft neck hair of specific breeds of goats, mostly bred in China and Mongolia. Surging goat populations from an unregulated market is causing erosion and desertification of the Mongolian grasslands, which leads to undernourished goats and a lower quality hair, causing herders to breed more goats to meet the increasing demand, creating a never-ending and unsustainable cycle – this is something Lee did not want to contribute to.
After doing some research and finding a mill in China to work with, KD now offers Vegetable Cashmere. It is a proprietary, 100% plant-based fabric primarily composed of soy protein spun from pulp from tofu production.
“It is indistinguishable from cashmere,” says Lee. “It has the same feel and look, but it is about 75-80% less than the price of animal fibre cashmere and has natural qualities such as UV and moth resistance, machine washable and biodegradable.
“My vision for KD New York is to move towards sustainability, and plant-based alternatives with Vegetable Cashmere is sort of the flagship of this movement.”
Rethinking the company’s future
As previously mentioned, the company started out by using hand-flat knitting machines. But after attending a trade show in Atlantic City, Lee and Kaye realised that computerised systems were the way forward.
“Trish and I had a factory of around 20-30 hand-flat machines, and we went to a machine show and the computerised knitting was brand new technology,” says Lee.
“We looked at each other and said if we don’t go in that direction then we’re going to be out of business pretty soon. So, I said to her: ‘If you can figure out how to use them then I’ll figure out how to get them.’”
A year later in 1990, the company got its first computerised knitting machine and Lee and Kaye learned on the job. Kaye went to Japan and learned the technical side and Lee spent some time in Germany at Stoll learning about other technical processes there.
“We learned by trial and had the benefit of formal training and working with some great technicians,” says Lee. “It’s just been an extraordinary journey and it’s amazing how machines have advanced over the years.”
But now the industry is adjusting again, and Lee is currently rethinking the business, considering the challenges and technology in the industry today. As part of the next step, KD New York now views relocating development and manufacturing to New Jersey as more advantageous.
“I’m rethinking everything which includes an openness to developing relationships with strategic partners, other manufacturers, and product development,” says Lee. “We want to broaden the footprint.
“It’s about considering what is the most economically efficient, sustainable, and seamless way of creating product lines and textiles. In essence it is about the best mix for making things happen. The great thing about resetting up is that you get to lose a lot of old practices and develop new ones.”
Whatever the options are to meet with today’s marketing demands, that is what Lee is exploring. Whether it be plant-based textile alternatives, rethinking its manufacturing, or developing a knitted yoga mat (the next project to come after Vegetable Cashmere), KD New York is keeping on its toes to positively impact and shape the future of the textile and apparel industry.
Source: www.wtin.com