Company Report: Cotton Knit S.A.C.
Quality in every stitch Creating fashion-forward knitwear keeps this company in high demand. Manufacturing Digital learns more

Cotton Knit S.A.C.

Cotton Knit S.A.C.

Since 1991, Cotton Knit S.A.C. has been crafting high quality knitwear for some of the world’s leading fashion brands. From Polo Ralph Lauren to Armani Exchange and Burberry, a host of top-market retailers choose the Lima firm known for craftsmanship, leading-edge technology, and dedication to customer satisfaction.

“Peru is a country that traditionally makes textiles,” says Cotton Knit’s commercial director, José Neira. “There was a culture even before the Incas, the Paracas, who lived about three hours away from us to the south by car.”

The Paracas created some of the finest textiles of any ancient culture, using vicuña wool and cotton to create exquisitely sophisticated and intricate garments. Peruvian weaving and dyeing techniques can be traced back to 500 BCE.

Inspired by such rich and evocative traditions in fiber arts, Cotton Knit sets the contemporary standard in quality knitting, dyeing and garment construction from their vertically-integrated enterprise in Lima.

FABRIC FOR THE WORLD
Cotton Knit’s connection to the fashion world has turned the traditional client/manufacturer relationship on its head.

“When customers send a swatch of fabric they would like, it’s often a fabric that we supply in advance, because we constantly keep developing new fabric for the world,” Neira notes. As new ideas form, company designers stay in close touch with their customer base. “We keep feeding our customers with new ideas not only for fabric but also for garments with new printing, dyeing and finishing techniques,” Neira adds. “We suggest new trends that we find in the market as well.”

Once design ideas are received, Cotton Knit chooses and sources the yarn that best fits the garment. “We have a number of different yarn suppliers; all of them are Peruvian or at least based in Peru. Who we use depends on the composition of the fiber that we need to buy,” Neira explains. Cotton Knit sources local cotton, cotton polyester, cotton cellulose blends such as modal or lyocell, alpaca, and other fibers.

In addition to Peruvian pima cotton, which is one of the most luxurious cottons in the world, they also source tangüis cotton – the fiber that in the early 20th century saved the Peruvian cotton industry from devastation. Named for Fermín Tanguis, the agriculturist who developed a disease-resistant cotton seed that resulted in stronger, brighter fiber, tangüis became known as oro blanco – literally, white gold.

TECH PERFECTION
To bring designs to life, Cotton Knit leverages state-of-the-art pattern-making, cutting and sewing technology. A Lectra molding system computer – the only one in Peru – enters the specs for every item that enters production. The firm’s capabilities cover the complete spectrum of knitting styles, from full to mini-jacquards, engineering stripes in rib and interlock, two- and three-end fleece, French terrycloth, jersey, intarsia and pique.

“We can produce 95 percent of the world’s existing knit fabrics in our factory. That’s basically our knitting capacity,” Neira states.

Garment bodies are made on the company’s 35 circular knitting machines, which are supplied by some of the industry’s most notable equipment manufacturers: Terrot, Mayer & Cie, Jumerca and Lebocey. Flat knitting machines handle other garment components, including collars and sleeves on select styles.

“We keep updating the machines because the technology is really moving on in a very quick way. We work to keep on top of the technology in every stage of our process,” Neira affirms.

When it comes to color, Cotton Knit creates the exact hues their customers demand in a cutting-edge color development laboratory that features a Data Color spectrophotometer, a Technorama automatic pipette system, a sample fabric dryer and a sample fabric stanter frame. A second lab, dedicated to fabric quality control, uses last generation testing equipment and methods to insure accuracy. A full range of high-performance fabric treatments are available, including antimicrobial, wicking, antibacterial, anti UV, anti flame and waterproofing.

The company’s in-house embroidery plant is capable of producing 30 different designs at once, and up to 12 colors can be screen printed on a single panel. Embellishments include waterbase, foil, plastisol, high density, flock, discharge, burn-out, and many others.

In a single month, Cotton Knit precision sews 600,000 units. Twenty-three sewing lines are set up to make this massive task a reality; 900 high-tech sewing machines and sophisticated, skilled operators assemble the season’s hottest knit goods.

Cotton Knit turns heads outside of knitwear, too. Ultra-high fashion leather goods maker Mario Hernandez, known for crafting elegant purses, boots and leather accessories, was so impressed by the quality of Cotton Knit’s garments, says Neira. “He was very interested in doing some garments that were knit. We have a very consistent base of customers. We maintain our relationships, which is what we really look for, but of course we always have our doors open for new designers that want to work with us in terms of making long-term relationships.”

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