Strong Sportswear Growth At Seamless Warp Knit Specialist Cifra

Tech Textiles & Nonwovens

Strong Sportswear Growth At Seamless Warp Knit Specialist Cifra

Italian warp knitting seamless (WKS) specialist Cifra SpA is reporting strong growth in its manufacturing orders for some of the world's leading sportswear brands. The Milan headquartered company says its sportswear business is up around 20% this year alone and is growing rapidly. Cifra says it is currently producing between 10,000 and 15,000 pieces of sportswear and athleisure per week, a massive jump from a standing start just four years ago. Previously the company was totally focussed on the fashion sector with seamless warp knitted fancy hosiery being its specialisation. But when the hosiery market collapsed it decided to make the strategic move into sportswear. Sportswear now accounts for 70-80% of Cifra's output and it lists adidas, Lululemon Athletica, Falke, The North Face, Diadora, Biotex, Decathon and Zerofit amongst the companies it manufactures for.

Creating a new market

Cifra owner and CEO Cesare Citterio describes the company's move into sportswear with warp knitting seamless (WKS), and its rapid rise in just a few years, "We had to create something really new for the market as we were facing a huge hosiery crisis. We invented a new product." "There were no warp knitted seamless garments in the sportswear sector before Cifra started producing for European brands four years ago. So we were in effect creating a new market, and we have had to convince all of our new customers of the potential of WKS. Now we are on the market and the feedback is very good."