Manifesto
The future of fashion looks great
Clothing is designed to be beautiful, to fit with precision, and to perform in everyday life. It supports the wearer in a direct and tangible way. Every garment reflects care in both design and function.
Products exist because they are needed and valued. Production follows real demand, to reduce excess and restore meaning to what is made and worn.
Materials are part of continuous cycles. Products are created with renewable and biodegradable resources, and designed to return safely into either technical or natural systems. Waste is avoided through intention at every stage.
Europe stands for openness, democracy, and fairness. Equal opportunity and freedom form the basis of society, and these principles extend into how goods are designed, produced, and distributed. Europe has a responsibility to elevate the quality of products and supply chains. Circular thinking and creative development shape new standards for the industry, influencing practices beyond regional borders.
The European fashion industry consists of independent designers, brands, manufacturers, and many other companies and organisations who operate within interconnected networks. These relationships form a balanced ecosystem where collaboration strengthens each participant.
Production is driven by actual demand and often happens within communities close to the point of use, creating transparency, accountability, and resilience while strengthening connections between makers and users. Local production reduces unnecessary transport, reduces the need for overproduction and keeps value within local economies.
Technological development supports this system. Automated production technologies, such as automated knitting, enable high-quality, zero-waste production. Garments can be produced directly from yarn into finished form, without cutting or sewing. Knitting is both a craft and a forward-looking method of production. It allows for the creation of complex three-dimensional forms with efficiency and precision. Knitted materials provide comfort and performance while avoiding reliance on plastics.
The heritage of European knitting is preserved and made accessible through digital systems. Knowledge is documented, shared, and continuously developed, ensuring that future generations can build upon it.
This vision is practical and within reach. It depends on clear choices, collaboration, and commitment across the entire system.
The transformation of fashion is already underway.
Mission
N.I.O.'s mission is to empower small and emerging brands' access to local on-demand production, giving them the tools they need to create and produce without the limitations of traditional mass manufacturing. Enabling people to buy fewer, but better clothes and creating an efficient and responsible closed loop supply chain.
Seven reasons why knitwear is the future of sustainable fashion:
1.
According to LCA research* 1 kg of knitted clothes uses 20 times less energy than 1 kg of woven clothes.
2.
3D knitting machines produce clothes in one piece without cutting and sewing. These machines can be used as 3D printers to make personalized garments.
3.
3D knitted garments are made of uncut yarns. Garments can be unraveled after use and knit again.
4.
Innovation in knitting technology is transforming the way knitwear looks and feels. Any kind of yarn can be knitted, from metal wire to the finest silk, in any structure from soft and stretchy to floating or sturdy.
5.
The 3D knitwear supply chain can be fully automated. This means local production is possible, all over the world.
6.
A growing group of people is willing to invest in better clothes and a better future. 3D knitting on demand gives these consumers the power to decide what is made.
7.
Personalisation contributes to a more conscious shopping experience and increases the perceived value of clothes.