INTRODUCTION

In 2022, with fifty years of experience, one of the last knitwear manufacturers in the Paris region creates Nitto Knitwear. Behind this brand is a virtuoso know-how that has been passed down from father to son for three generations.

When the knitting workshop began its activities, it primarily focused on producing knitwear for women. However, for the founder, it was essential that this activity, and the expertise it demands, be handed down to the new generation. That’s why the current leader, the founder’s grandson, spent his childhood in the workshop, where he spent most of his time. He was immersed early on in the world of textiles and gradually developed a passion for fashion. It was natural for him to join the family workshop in 2011.

In 2016, as certain events led him to consider stopping his work as a knitter, he received a significant order from a Japanese distributor, which he saw as a real opportunity to develop the family business. This was the chance to fulfill his desire to create men’s sweaters, a desire often set aside due to the daily focus on managing and growing the family business. With this Japanese order, he revived the activity and created the very first men’s collection from the workshop, launching it in 2018. He focused primarily on producing high-quality, elegant, robust, and durable products. The idea was set: the first men’s sweaters would be winter sweaters made of wool. To create them, the quality of the yarn had to be ensured. It was selected from among the best European spinners and made of merino wool, a high-quality wool known for its softness and thermoregulation. It wicks moisture and doesn’t itch if well knitted. Thus, knitting came into play. After numerous trials, the chosen stitch was a pique stitch. It is simple yet full of character and adds a certain originality to the product. The uniqueness of this stitch is also expressed through the thickness of the sweater, worked with gauge 14.

However, a major problem emerged: in Japan, the first buyer country, the workshop’s women’s sweaters had been sold under the brand name “Tricots Jean Marc” since 2015. Although this sale had no website or social media presence, it would have been inconsistent to group products with such different identities and environments under the same brand name. The “Tricots Jean Marc” brand had just been launched, and while the products were very popular, they lacked a strong identity. After consulting agents during a sale to multi-brand stores, it was decided to change the brand name for men’s wear, as it was newer than the women’s brand. While searching for a new name, the founder’s grandson remembered that the Japanese referred to his brand as “Nitto” because it means “knitting” in Japanese. Given the significance of his first Japanese order, the name “Nitto” was retained, leading to the creation of the Nitto Knitwear brand.