INNOVATION FROM PASSION
Innovation is the key to perfection. From the very beginning, our heart beats for the perfect product. Garments with which we want to inspire you, with which you will fall in love. Which become favourite pieces, in which you simply feel all-round comfortable and beautiful. Technological progress, investment in research and development and the courage to try something new. These forces propel us on our way. Since the very beginning.
INSOURCING INSTEAD OF OUTSOURCING
We have in-house production and development. Knitting and finishing are carried out in three shifts. In order to work for you as quickly, powerfully and efficiently as possible, our custom-made high-tech machines run around the clock on weekdays. German production and the short distances involved have a decisive advantage. Innovative designs can be directly implemented in the highest quality. New ideas in the areas of knitwear, ready-to-wear or printing take shape in a very short time and there are almost no limits to the creativity of our design team.
We rely heavily on the digitalisation in our production processes. Tailor-made knitting machines, virtual product development, innovative printing processes and, last but not least, our high-tech logistics centre underline our leading position in this field.
KNITWEAR MADE IN BODELSHAUSEN
We started with knitwear and we remain true to our roots. Unique knitwear creations are the heart of Marc Cain. It all began in 1973 with the first knitwear Collection. Even then, we were pioneers with the first electronically controlled knitting machines.Today, more than 390,000 knitted items are produced per year on 115 high-tech knitting machines - 112 of which are flat knitting machines and 3 circular knitting machines - in the ultra-modern production facilities.This machinery is something very special. Probably no other fashion company in Europe has a comparably large, highly modern and flexible knitwear production on site.
80%
More performance
Many of the machines are tailor-made technological marvels in which our knitting specialists have invested many hours of research and development. With this know-how we can get up to 80% more performance out of a standard model. For example, our machines can automatically detect knots in the yarn, knit them separately and resume the process without stopping.
3-D
Knit & Wear
We have set another milestone in knitting with our fully automatic 3-D knitting machines. With the special "3-D Knit & Wear" knitting process, we can knit a finished product in just one operation, completely without seams. The combination of advanced machine technology, modified pattern technology and the expertise of our employees has resulted in a modern high-performance machine that cannot be bought anywhere else. Perfectly adapted to our requirements and the special nature of our Collections.
For the further development of this "3-D Knit & Wear" technology, we received an innovation award in 2016 and were awarded the Top 100 seal as Top Innovator 2016.
The Marc Cain knitting mill also has its own winding and twisting facilities. In some cases, this allows us to create our own yarn creations, which give our Collections even more uniqueness.
Since 1998, we have embellished our collection pieces with the elaborate digital printing technology for the first time. This made us one of the first in the textile industry. As pioneers of the new technology, all machines and equipment were specially made for us and later further expanded. In order to increase performance and secure our lead, we have constantly developed the process further.
250%
Print speed
Today, we are already working with the 4th development stage of our digital printing machines. Our own creation, on which the employees of the Marc Cain development department ambitiously tinkered and refined in order to achieve the greatest possible flexibility and efficiency. Due to the increased number of print heads, the printing speed could be increased by 250%. The colour space has also been expanded by increasing the number of colours used. In addition, the printing machine, which is unique in this respect, makes it possible to print finished products on a wide range of materials in a colour-intensive manner. From cotton blouses, to denim trousers, to knitted coats. Even 360-degree motifs can be printed on knitted sweaters without any problems.
DIGITAL PRINTING
In digital printing, the ink is sprayed directly onto the fabric via the nozzle. This means that the dye does not lie on the material but forms a permanent bond with it. This means higher quality, because the print cannot tear. Most of our prints are made this way.
SCREEN PRINTING
For special items, we use conventional screen printing. In this printing process, the printing ink is printed through a fine-mesh polyester fabric with a stencil onto the material to be printed.
TWO
With these two processes we can finish all product groups and materials with our unique prints.
3D Visualisation
Another component of the advancing digitalisation at Marc Cain can be found in the area of modelling technology. This is where creative design ideas and sketches take shape. In close cooperation with the design team and with great attention to detail, our pattern makers develop new looks, silhouettes and processing solutions. In order to be able to react even faster to trends and individual needs of our customers, our specialists work with special CAD systems and modern 3-D software.
This enables our 3-D visualisation team to simulate models realistically on the computer without having to produce a paper model or a prototype. Various designs, colours and ingredients can be quickly tried out and assessed virtually. This avoids undesirable developments and helps to decide on the perfect product that meets the high demands of all parties involved.
"Our 3D department has existed since 2016. since then, we have been using the innovative 3D software Clo and thus have the possibility to visualize the entire collection at an early stage. This makes our product development much more efficient. Thanks to the intuitive user interface and the versatile features, we can use the tool across departments. This ensures we have a digital and consistent language throughout the company."
Alena Glimpel, Team Leader 3D Model Development
Logistics in numbers
1,400,000 flat goods
460,000 hanging garments
126,898 m³ gross capacity
