* In this blog series, we will be posting 8 short stories displayed in Unidentified Acts of Design, exploring contemporary production and manufacturing in Shenzhen and the Pearl River Delta. This week we look the role of technicians at a knitwear sample factory, who’s task is to translate designs made by clients into manufacturable garments.
The Samplers / Rose Knitting Sample Factory
Rose Knitting was established in 1960 in Hong Kong. It moved much of its production to mainland China in the early 1990s, working with major clients from around the world to produce off-the-rack knitwear. Their sample factory in Dapeng plays a crucial role in the manufacturing process. It’s here where designs are translated by skilled technicians into a digital language that can be easily processed by their knitting machines and transformed into products. The yarn type, the stitch, and the gauge need to be carefully considered, and there is often an extended dialogue between technician and designer in order to produce the desired effect.