Italian warp knitting seamless (WKS) specialist Cifra reported strong growth in manufacturing orders for some of the world’s leading sportswear brands. The Milan headquartered company says its sportswear business is up around 20 per cent this year alone and is growing rapidly.

Currently Cifra produces between 10,000 and 15,000 pieces of sportswear and athleisure per week, a massive jump from a standing start just four years ago. Previously the company was totally focused on the fashion sector with seamless warp knitted fancy hosiery being its specialisation. But when the hosiery market collapsed it decided to make the strategic move into sportswear.

Now, sportswear accounts for 70-80 per cent of Cifra’s output and it lists Adidas, Lululemon Athletica, Falke, The North Face, Diadora, Biotex, Decathon and Zerofit amongst the companies it manufactures for.

Meanwhile, Cifra owner and CEO Cesare Citterio describes the company’s move into sportswear with warp knitting seamless for its rapid rise in just a few years.