Leading German flat knitting machine manufacturer H. Stoll GmbH & Co has launched its Chinese Trend Collection for Autumn/ Winter 2012-13 in the run up to SPINEXPO which takes place at the Shanghai World Expo Exhibition & Convention Center from 6-8 September 2011.

The following is an extract from the 35 page Collection booklet which can be downloaded in PDF format at the foot of this article or by clicking the image on the right:

"Talking... about the contrast of sustainability and the digital landscape we face today.

Thinking... about using things that have been abandoned or characterized as waste such as stones or shards of glass left on a beach.

Rebuilding... our structures including economies and new resources. In all this the industrial aspect and the contrast of things "being created and handmade" come into consideration.

Coming back ... to the root of matters to create a future that is worth living in.

The thought of reusing "refuse" and sustainable yarns is being integrated into knitwear. New resources from plant fibres as well as natural dying features are being explored. Alternative solutions show the way to combine these elements in an innovative and sophisticated way.

The new collection Autumn/Winter 2012/2013 is an attempt at this.

The colours range from earthy stone greys to warm purple and violet, while black and crème are a neutralizing go-between.

Starting from materials like stone, glass and plastic, natural optics and transparent features have been integrated into the collection. Transparency and layering techniques are important themes as well as the clean black and white group that is a graphic statement of modernity.

3D effects have been realized by intarsia technique as well as racking structures.

Knitted woven optics flow through the collection and show how the re-thinking of materials is mainly used in fabrics. Traditional patterns, such as variations of the classic "houndstooth" in jacquards are examples of symbolic re-use in garments.

Knitting technology and handmade elements work together while applications become the base structure and are completed by macramé elements.

Fine wool qualities and a soft cashmere blend create garments that are wearable and comfortable. They are supported by the use of a special monofilament yarn that gives a technical look and unusual stiffness.

A fancy nylon yarn gives a scrap like contrast to the pieces as though disturbing conventional surfaces."

Download the Stoll China Trend Collection Autumn/ Winter 2012-13