Responsible Knitwear Production

The knitwear industry is very complex and varied, especially when you take into account the difficulties that can be faced creating sustainable and ethical knitwear products. In this Masterclass, we shine a light on some of the challenges faced when producing responsible knitwear, and the various ways in which you can overcome this.

We've structured this Masterclass first to outline the basic principles of knitwear, including what can be defined as knitwear, and how it is made. We then look at a glossary of knitwear, including a range of knitwear-specific terms that will help you make sense of the various aspects of this sector. The masterclass then includes a sustainable knitwear design panel discussion, moving onto how technology and knitwear work together from our conversation with Hall Watts and Kirsty Emery of revolutionary fashion technology business Unmade.

In this Masterclass you will learn:

What knitwear is and how it is made, with an overview of the knitwear production process
Ethical considerations to take into account when producing knitwear
What the benefits of using technology are in creating a community around responsible knitwear
How to find investment and funding for small scale knitwear businesses
How to use knitwear and technology to showcase possibilities in waste reduction
Traceable, natural and sustainable qualities of wool, how wool is processed and manufactured into yarn, and the different types of British wool
Best practice when working with wool manufacturers along the supply chain
How to work with a small, slow fashion range to eventually scale up, and pricing such collections
About the knitting yarn industry today, types of sustainable yarns,
Plus, a glossary on knitwear terminology

Introduction to knitwear with Charlotte Cameron from Charlotte Cameron Knitwear
with Charlotte Cameron

Summary

Trained in knitwear and knitted textile design, Charlotte Cameron works with brands to design and develop products from concept to retail. Alongside her consultancy, Charlotte Cameron Knitwear, Charlotte is also Knitwear Editor for the online platform, Knitting Industry Creative, and a visiting lecturer. She has a breadth of experience with mid to high-end brands, from those with established knitwear collections, through to start-ups. As a knitwear consultant, her key focus is to create beautiful and ethical knitwear which is commercially successful and is designed and made to last and be cherished.

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Knit Glossary
with Charlie Bradley Ross

Summary

A downloadable pack featuring the key terms commonly used in the knitwear industry, and their various meanings and definitions.

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Custom Hand-Knitting Perfectly Fitting Clothing
with Ruby Lee

Summary

Have you ever wanted to knit the perfect made to measure jumper, but didn’t know where to start? Well, Ruby Lee and Alice Sleight have the solution with their fledgeling business, “Made and Worn” an app that helps users to knit a product that they design themselves, to their perfect fit.

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Changing the Knitwear Industry: In Conversation with Hall Watts
with Hall Watts

Summary

Hall Watts is CEO and Co-Founder of Unmade, the revolutionary, award-winning fashion technology business. Launched in 2013, Unmade enable customizable design through industrial manufacturing. They give fashion brands the power to customise their products and to never have to deal with unsold stock again.

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Using Knitwear Technology to Reduce Wastage
with Kirsty Emery

Summary

Kirsty Emery is one of the co-founders of the revolutionary, award-winning fashion technology business, Unmade. Launched in 2013, Unmade was born out of frustration at the fashion industry’s stagnant approach to mass-consumption. Today, they create bespoke, personalised knitwear, on-demand, on an industrial scale. With an ever-growing team and research lab based at Somerset House, they are leaders in sustainable fashion technology.
"The fashion business is 1.4 trillion dollar industry. 10% of all the clothes made every year don't get sold and go straight to landfill - which is about 100 billion dollars of clothes."

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