Daiichi Knit Marketing Co.,Ltd.
introduced by ATSUSHI NAKASHIMA / THIS IS MY PARTNER
The City of Mitsuke in Niigata Prefecture is one of 13 Japan’s largest knit producing regions.
Daiichi Knit Marketing has craftsmanship inherited over generations and mechanical techniques that have evolved. The encounter with Atsushi Nakashima is inspiring a fresh challenge for knit products.
Daiichi Knit Marketing Co.,Ltd.
Mitsuke City, Niigata Prefecture / Established in 1951 Scope of business: Manufacturing and marketing men’s and women’s knitwear / No. of employees: 214 persons
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Experienced knitting craftsmen with traditional skills and know-how
Daiichi Knit Marketing (hereinaf ter ‘DKM’) is the winner of the technology award in the Japan Best Knit Selection 2013.The company boasts Japan’s best shaping technique for high-gauge knit, handling knit products for a number of designer houses in and outside Japan.
DKM is the only company that has a full-fashion 30G knitting machine to deliver fine and intricate finishes.Producing a knit product involves over 30 processes of varying scales.
In the ‘linking’ process,craftsmen manually link each of the finished high-gauge parts together. 30G knit requires advanced skills of a craftsman,piercing the fine stitches with precision.
Having fallen in love with DKM for its expressive skills,the designer Atsushi Nakashima is introducing a line of knitwear to this season’s collection.
Nakashima says,“I have always wanted to include knitwear in my collection since my debut in Japan, but the issue of production lot has stood in the way until now.”
“It was almost a gut decision to collaborate with Mr.Nakashima. I felt that our technological expertise should be able to reproduce Nakashima’s design world.We are really looking forward to see how a designer like him could explore and create from the materials we of fer,” says Executive Director Shuichi Yamazaki.
Marking the 63rd anniversar y this year, DKM’s strengths are its collection of over 150 knitting machines, and experienced craftsmen who have inherited the skills and know-how from their predecessors.Imports account for over 95% of today’s knit market in Japan. The collaboration of DKM and Atsushi Nakashima is set to herald an era of fresh challenge.
Interview&Text:Shinya Miyaura (Secori Gallery)
Photography:Yohey Goto