Top Importers of Knitted or Crocheted Fabrics

Import trends reflect both demand for manufacturing inputs and domestic market consumption. While the USA and India represent large-volume fashion manufacturing bases, Sri Lanka, Mexico, and Egypt stand out as key destinations for fabric imports supporting export-led garment production.

Sri Lanka’s position as the top importer is closely tied to its role as a garment manufacturing hub serving American and European brands. The USA, despite being a major producer, also imports large volumes to meet the demands of fast fashion and private-label production. India’s dual role as both exporter and importer reflects its large-scale domestic consumption alongside export-oriented production. Mexico and Egypt highlight the regional nearshoring strategies by US and EU companies, importing fabric for final assembly. Italy’s position underscores the country’s role in both luxury fashion and fabric finishing, while China’s import figure complements its re-export and final garment production. The presence of Turkey and Brazil further illustrates the reliance on foreign-sourced knitted textiles for national apparel output.

These dynamics reaffirm China’s dominance in export volume, while also highlighting the strategic importance of sourcing hubs like Turkey and South Korea. On the import side, both developed (USA, Italy) and emerging markets (India, Egypt, Sri Lanka) play central roles in the global knitwear value chain.

Why these countries lead:

• China dominates due to its massive scale in textile production, competitive pricing, and vertically integrated supply chains, accounting for over USD 23,7 billion in export value.

• Turkey benefits from strong regional trade links with Europe and a robust domestic industry focused on cotton and jersey production.

• South Korea excels in synthetic and performance knit fabrics, supporting its sportswear and athleisure export segments.

• Italy specialises in high-end wool and cashmere knits for luxury fashion and serves both B2B and in-house brands.

• USA and India rank high in both export and import because they are home to major fashion manufacturing ecosystems and brand headquarters.

• Sri Lanka, Mexico, and Egypt top the importers’ list as they are key garment manufacturing hubs relying on fabric imports for finished apparel exports.

• Brazil and Turkey also import large quantities to support domestic production and export diversification.

The EU continues to play a dual role as both importer and re-exporter. In 2024, EU exports of knitwear reached over €19 billion, with Germany, Italy, Spain, and the Netherlands accounting for over 70% of outbound value. Knitwear is also an increasingly important category in circular fashion initiatives, prompting regulatory interest around fibre content labelling and traceability.

Knitwear Industry Trends

Technology	Description
3D Knitting	Seamless garments made directly from yarn; reduces waste and production time.
Whole-Garment Knitting	Garments made in one piece, enhancing comfort and lowering labour costs.
Robotics & AI	Automates complex pattern production with precision.
Sustainable Fibres	Use of recycled and bio-based yarns to meet eco-conscious demand.
Digital Sampling	Virtual prototypes decrease the need for physical samples.
Meta-Homogenisation	Enhances fabric simulation realism for better design testing.

In 2025, these trends are particularly relevant as the knitwear sector becomes a focal point for balancing creativity and environmental responsibility. 3D and whole-garment knitting reduce material usage and labour cost - a critical advantage as both inflationary pressure and EU regulations on textile waste intensify. Robotics and AI enable shorter development cycles, unlocking personalised knitwear with scalable efficiency. The shift to sustainable fibres reflects consumer demand for traceability and circular materials. Meanwhile, digital sampling accelerates time-to-market and supports e-commerce merchandising without physical waste. Finally, meta-homogenisation enhances product development and simulation, bridging textile engineering with digital design workflows. Together, these innovations position knitwear at the intersection of technical advancement and commercial opportunity.

Top Global Knitwear Brands (2024)

The following 10 brands have been selected and ranked based on their dedication to knitwear as a central product category, investment in innovative yarns and fibre sourcing, sustainability leadership, and cultural or commercial relevance in 2024. Each brand represents a different facet of global knitwear excellence - from heritage craftsmanship to progressive circular business models.

1. Johnstons of Elgin (Scotland)

History: Founded in 1797 by Alexander Johnston in Elgin, Scotland, Johnstons of Elgin is one of the UK’s oldest continuously operating textile mills. In the early 1980s, the company expanded into knitwear with the acquisition of a second site in Hawick, strengthening its capacity in knitted cashmere. For over two centuries, the brand has upheld a commitment to vertical integration - controlling every stage from fibre selection to finished garment.

Positioning: Johnstons of Elgin combines heritage British craftsmanship with modern sustainability practices. While it supplies top luxury brands like Hermes and Burberry, it also runs its own luxury label rooted in timeless, functional knitwear for global consumers.

Strengths: The company is vertically integrated across two Scottish sites, with in-house dyeing, spinning, knitting, and finishing. It is a certified B Corporation (since 2023), runs on renewable energy, and sources traceable cashmere and wool from responsible partners. It also holds a Royal Warrant and continues to innovate in responsible manufacturing.

Knitwear Focus: Knitwear is a core product line for both its B2B and B2C business. Signature items include fine-gauge crewnecks, cashmere stoles, and classic Scottish lambswool jumpers. All garments are knitted in Scotland using proprietary techniques developed over generations.

2024 Highlights:

• Achieved B Corp certification with an 88.5 impact score.

• Won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in Sustainability.

• Partnered with Dior and other maisons as a supplier of high-end knitted cashmere for seasonal collections.

2025 Highlights:

• Commissioned a new biomass heat plant in Hawick to reduce fossil fuel use by 60%.

• Launched “Knit for Life,” a customer-facing programme for repairing and renewing luxury cashmere.

• Expanded traceable sourcing through new partnerships in Mongolia for regenerative fibre development.

2. The Row (USA)

History: The Row was founded in 2006 by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen in New York City, originally with a focus on perfecting the classic white T-shirt. It quickly expanded into a full ready-to-wear collection, built on a minimalist design language and exceptional craftsmanship. Knitwear was one of the brand’s first categories and remains its signature.

Positioning: As a leader in “quiet luxury,” The Row is defined by its discreet branding, neutral colour palette, and slow design ethos. The brand targets discerning customers who prioritise fabric quality and long-term wearability over trend-driven fashion.

Strengths: The Row is known for its exclusive production partnerships in Italy and Scotland, where it sources premium cashmere and wool for its knitwear. Backed by investors linked to the Chanel and L'Oréal Paris families, it has maintained independence and high creative control. Its customer loyalty and strong sell-through rates are supported by limited runs and low promotional activity.

Knitwear Focus: The Row’s knitwear collection includes undyed and plant-dyed cashmere sweaters, longline knits, ribbed twinsets, and modular knit separates. It has recently expanded its knitwear vision into home categories, including throws and blankets made of baby cashmere.

2024 Highlights:

• Valued at over $1 billion after investment support from Chanel and L'Oréal Paris-linked families.

• Introduced a capsule of undyed knitwear and expanded into luxury home textiles with cashmere blankets launched during Milan Design Week.

• Ranked among the most searched brands for luxury knitwear in Q4 2024, according to Lyst.

2025 Highlights:

• Launched a 100% plant-dyed knitwear capsule that reduced dye-related emissions by 80%.

• Introduced a knitwear repair and personalisation service at pop-up boutiques in Tokyo and Seoul.

• Partnered with environmental NGO Cool Earth to plant one tree for every knitwear item sold globally.

3. Extreme Cashmere (Netherlands)

History: Founded in 2016 by Saskia Dijkstra in Amsterdam, Extreme Cashmere was born from her 20+ years in cashmere production for high-end labels. Her goal was simple yet ambitious: design the perfect cashmere jumper - genderless, unisize, made-to-last, and free from quality compromises such as thin yarn or short-knit garments.

Positioning: The brand defines itself through inclusivity and permanence - offering unisex, seasonless knitwear that celebrates individuality rather than branding. With its bold palettes and tactile garments, Extreme Cashmere challenges the notion that cashmere is reserved for a narrow demographic.

Strengths:

• Quality First: Each sweater is densely knit using long-fibre Mongolian cashmere with ~1 % elastane, balancing luxury feel with universal fit.

• Longevity & Care Ethos: The brand champions garment care through initiatives like workshops and spa partnerships, conveying that cashmere loves water and should be washed, pressed, and maintained - turning garment care into a ritual.

• Community Experience: The Amsterdam HQ fosters a familial atmosphere with communal meals and hands-on customer engagement during pop-ups in key markets.

• Knitwear Focus: Extreme Cashmere’s signature line features one-size sweaters, cardigans, dresses, pants, and accessories - all knitted in Amsterdam to exacting standards. The colourful range appeals to a broad demographic, from youth to older adults.

2024 Highlights:

• Now sold in approximately 300 global stores and e‑commerce platforms, the brand tripled in size since 2020.

• Vogue recognised its commitment to durability and inclusivity, underscoring its material quality and minimalist lifestyle.

2025 Highlights:

• Hosted the world’s first Cashmere Spa during Paris Fashion Week, partnering with Miele. This spa offered care demonstrations using specially tailored machines, highlighting a ritualistic approach to garment maintenance.

• Launched its first Amsterdam flagship on Utrechtsestraat, complete with a front-of-house washing machine and communal dining ethos, reflecting its home-like customer experience.

4. Khaite (USA)

History: Founded in 2016 by Catherine Holstein in New York City, Khaite emerged quickly as an American luxury label with a focus on sculptural minimalism and high-quality fabrics. Supported from its inception by financier Adam Pritzker, the brand garnered attention through creative collaborations (such as a film by Sean Baker in 2021) and has since cemented its presence with flagship stores on Mercer Street, Madison Avenue, and Dallas.

Positioning: Khaite occupies a niche as quietly confident luxury, blending polished silhouettes with a modern yet enduring appeal. Vogue has recognised the brand for its “polished foundation pieces,” noting that knitwear - such as its bell-sleeve Scarlet cardigan and ribbed Jo sweater - drives its identity.

Strengths: The brand’s strengths lie in its unwavering commitment to craftsmanship and material integrity. Each collection balances structure and softness, often exploring contrasting elements, and focuses on longevity rather than seasonal churn. Its investment backing and growing media acclaim have underpinned both creative freedom and commercial success.

Knitwear Focus: Knitwear remains central to Khaite’s offering, especially in premium cashmere and fine merino wool. Signature styles include the Scarlet bell-sleeve cardigan, Jo polo sweater, rib-knit dresses, and the Guy sweater. These pieces are defined by sculptural drape, tonal palettes, and sculpted detailing.

2024 Highlights:

• Vogue described Khaite as “beloved for its robust offering of polished foundation pieces” with knitwear at its core.

• The Spring/Summer 2025 collection continued its focus on cashmere foundations and architectural knit silhouettes.

2025 Highlights:

• In Sun 2025, Khaite debuted its Resort 2025 collection featuring a soft yet strong aesthetic, praised for its sustainable ethos and elevated minimalism.

• Committed to sustainability by emphasising longevity and reducing fast-fashion cycles in each collection.

5. Toteme (Sweden)

History: Co-founded by Elin Kling and Karl Lindman in 2014, the Stockholm-based label started as a fashion collective and has since built a global brand renowned for minimalist wardrobe archetypes. Since its Spring 2025 runway debut in New York, Totême Studio has positioned itself as a beacon of Scandinavian modernity.

Positioning: Totême Studio presents multidisciplinary, trans-seasonal garments that underpin a minimalist lifestyle. Its guiding principle is to “buy better and less, and wear more,” and its curated aesthetic avoids ultra-trend cycles in favour of timeless design.

Strengths: The brand leverages high-quality materials like cashmere, wool, silk, and often manufactures within the same regions - 95% of fabrics are sourced near production sites. Totême Studio also commits to reducing air freight, renewable energy usage, and avoiding overproduction through digital sampling.

Knitwear Focus: Totême Studio’s knitwear is defined by its luxurious feel and structural simplicity, including cashmere and wool-silk sweaters, turtlenecks, cardigans, boxy silk knits, and layered tees. Fall/Winter 2024 featured graphic necklines and bold tactile textures.

2024 Highlights:

• The Fall/Winter 2024 collection showcased tapered silhouettes and rich, tactile knit fabrics - cashmere, shearling, and stripped fil-coupé - rooted in Swedish craftsmanship.

• Vogue praised Totême Studio’s Spring 2025 debut in New York as a turning point, reinforcing its minimalist credentials and international expansion plans.

2025 Highlights:

• Announced carbon-reduction targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 42% and eliminate hazardous chemicals in the supply chain by 2030.

• Increased renewable energy usage across production and logistics, and committed to sourcing 83% of preferred (organic, recycled, bio-based) fibres by 2024, with plans for 100% by 2025.

6. Nanushka (Hungary)

History: Founded in 2006 by Sandra Sándor in Budapest, Nanushka began as a small design studio focused on functional, versatile fashion. Drawing from Hungarian heritage and a minimalist Eastern European aesthetic, the brand grew from a local operation into an internationally recognised label, expanding into menswear in recent years.

Positioning: Nanushka positions itself as “affordable luxury” with a strong sustainability ethos. It combines modern, bohemian cuts with mindful production, appealing to consumers who value style and environmental responsibility.

Strengths: The brand controls production in Hungary, ensuring quality and reducing its supply chain footprint. It has achieved notable progress in circularity: as of 2022, 17% of its fabric was from recycled fibres and 2% was deadstock, up from 2% and 0.8% in 2020. Nanushka publicly releases detailed sustainability reports with carbon-tracking frameworks.

Knitwear Focus: Nanushka’s knitwear includes wool-blend pullovers, intarsia-knit cardigans, and recycled cashmere sweaters. Its Spring/Summer 2025 show featured striped knitted micro-shorts and a green leopard-print cardigan, combining comfort with innovative layering.

2024 Highlights:

• Celebrated its 20th anniversary with a “Paper”-themed SS25 collection in New York, spotlighting innovative deadstock materials and wearable layering.

• Formalised its circularity strategy with measurable fibre and waste targets.

2025 Highlights:

• Advanced carbon-reduction roadmap to cut greenhouse gas emissions by 42% and transition to 100% preferred fibres by 2025.

• Opened new flagship stores in New York and London with integrated cafés and localised community events.

7. The Elder Statesman (USA)

History: Founded in 2007 by Greg Chait in Los Angeles, The Elder Statesman began as a luxury cashmere blanket maker and gradually expanded into expressive ready-to-wear knitwear, maintaining a deep commitment to handcraft and colour experimentation.

Positioning: The brand is known for its artisan-crafted, vibrant knitwear - blending West Coast creativity with high-end texture. Its tactile pieces have gained a cult following among those seeking individuality in luxury fashion.

Strengths: All garments are produced in-house in the brand’s 25,000 sq. ft. Los Angeles atelier, ensuring quality control and craft integrity. In March 2024, it sold a minority stake to investors including Emma & Jens Grede and the von Fürstenberg family to fund its global expansion.

Knitwear Focus: The Elder Statesman’s knitwear is distinguished by its use of hand-dyeing, bold colour-blocking, and luxury yarns including cashmere, silk, and alpaca. Key products include striped pullovers, tie-dye cardigans, argyle twinsets, and “delicash” silk-cashmere hybrid knits.

2024 Highlights:

• Opened its first NYC flagship in SoHo with experiential retail design by Isaac Brest, including patchwork installations and vintage furnishings.

• Released its Holiday 2024/25 collection featuring nostalgic Americana-inspired argyle sweaters and brushed alpaca jackets.

2025 Highlights:

• Showcased geological intarsia knits and cashmere-inset jackets in its SS25 collection in LA.

• Launched an artisan-crafted homeware capsule featuring knitted pillows and throws.

• Strengthened retail presence and brand awareness through investor-backed expansion in Europe and Asia.

Knitwear is no longer just a seasonal category - it’s a strategic lever for innovation, sustainability, and vertical integration. As the market grows toward USD 1,6 trillion by 2030, companies that master both product quality and technological agility will win.
The brands featured above demonstrate that excellence in knitwear goes beyond aesthetics - it demands authenticity, technological evolution, and an environmental conscience. From heritage woollen mills to next-gen circular start-ups, knitwear is now at the centre of fashion’s sustainable and commercial transformation.

Conclusion: Knitwear as a Strategic Frontier in Fashion

The global knitwear industry, once perceived as seasonal and category-limited, has undergone a striking transformation. As seen across the leading brands profiled - from heritage mills like Johnstons of Elgin to directional independents like The Row, Totême Studio, and Extreme Cashmere - knitwear now anchors brand identity, innovation strategy, and sustainability agendas.
Each brand approaches knitwear from a distinct vantage point:
Khaite, Totême Studio, and The Row showcase knitwear as the foundation of minimalist luxury.

Nanushka and The Elder Statesman merge sustainability with design experimentation, while Extreme Cashmere redefines inclusivity through one-size-fits-all innovation.

From the sustainability front, knitwear is now a leading category for circularity and material innovation. Brands are piloting recycled fibres, plant-based dyes, and repairable design models, making knits a testbed for long-term ESG transformation.

Future Outlook (2025-2030)

The outlook for the knitwear market is robust:

• Projected to grow to $1,6 trillion by 2030 (Market Research Future), knitwear will see continued premiumisation, category diversification (home, accessories, hybridwear), and channel innovation (DTC platforms, virtual sampling, and AI-aided demand planning).

• Comfort-first fashion, popularised during the pandemic, has evolved into function-luxury, with cashmere becoming a year-round staple.

• Investment in traceability and regenerative fibres will continue to distinguish the leaders, especially as global regulations tighten around fibre sourcing and transparency.

• AI and 3D knitting are expected to further revolutionise the supply chain, enabling nearshoring, waste reduction, and hyper-personalised design.

In a fashion era dominated by fast cycles and algorithm-driven visibility, knitwear stands out by offering tactility, integrity, and timelessness. It’s not just a product category - it’s a strategic frontier for how the industry thinks about value, longevity, and beauty.

Cover Image: The Elderstatesman, Johnstons of Elgin and Totême Studio, courtesy Vogue.