Project I, an innovative apparel manufacturing group started by esteemed fashion executives Jon Lewis and John Elmuccio, announced its collaboration with world-renowned 3D knitting machinery enterprise, Stoll, during the Stoll Symposium on Thursday 27 September in New York City.
“We’re partnering to create the apparel manufacturing and supply chain facility of the future,” says Elmuccio. “The collaboration with Stoll will strengthen America’s fashion market, restore apparel production jobs using the latest technology, and revitalise the fully-fashioned knit sector.”
Between this new-founded collaboration with Project I and the kick-off of Stoll’s 145th anniversary, this impactful collaboration will reportedly bring a revolutionary output of jobs and help position the US as a key player of the apparel manufacturing and supply chain market.
“The apparel, fashion and luxury markets are ripe for disruption and resurgence in the US,” says Lewis. “By shortening the supply chain and locating production in the US, fashion brands and retailers will be able to keep pace with emerging trends and react to – not just anticipate – customer demand.”
The installation of these 300 high-tech flatbed knitting machines will happen throughout the next three years. Stoll says it will install the latest generation of ADF machines, which feature yarn carriers that are independent of the carriage and can move horizontally and vertically, and the latest CMS 830 C&S Knit & Wear (seamless knitting) machines. In addition, Stoll will provide programming, training, manufacturing and on-site production support while guiding new and existing customers alike to Project I.
“We have been working with Project I for over two years to turn this ground-breaking vision into a reality,” says Stephan Robertson, CEO North American Operations. “At Stoll, we take great pride in reinventing ourselves as a high-quality OEM with the latest technology on the market. We have seen fashion and technology flourish on a mass global scale, but we needed a new competitive edge in the North American market. With Project I, we are finally able to make the US a destination for advanced manufacturing and production.
Production is anticipated to begin at the end of 2019 at a brand new US-based facility – soon to be announced, says Stoll.
