Our recipe for success: the highest craftsmanship and a lot of experience
We started with knitwear and remain true to our roots: unique knitwear creations have been at the heart of Marc Cain since 1973. Even then, Marc Cain was one of the pioneers in this field with the first electronically controlled knitting machines.
Today, more than 280,000 knitted pieces are produced per year on 110 knitting machines in the ultra-modern production rooms. That is roughly equivalent to 260,000 kg of yarn knitted by Marc Cain in Germany every year - you could wrap the earth around it about 59 times with that.
What does "Knitted in Germany" mean?
Our "Knitted in Germany" articles are knitted at our headquarters in Germany. Technicians and designers work hand in hand: the design team develops the unique creations, which are then brought to life by the knitting technicians in the in-house knitting factory. The work on the knitting machines is complex and therefore requires a lot of expertise. That is why we rely on experienced knitting technicians who are constantly developing new programmes, so that we can maintain the high level and our pre-eminence for novel knitting techniques and types of knitting. After knitting, we then send the items to our European partner factories where the individual knitted pieces are sewn together. We mark these models with "Knitted in Germany".
We focus on regionality
The basic product of woolen whale is a knitted fabric that is treated by fulling so that it felts and thus becomes particularly dense. The challenge is to process the fine yarn correctly. Many a wool idea has failed because of this. But Marc Cain has experience with the sensitive material. "We have been producing woolen whale for more than 20 years," says Helmut Schlotterer, Managing Director of Marc Cain. "Back then, we were the first company to interpret whale in a fashionable way. Over the years, demand increased and we couldn't keep up with our machines." In the meantime, the process has been outsourced - to a contract knitter from the Swabian Alb, not far from the headquarters.
But making the special woollen yarn is only the first step on the long journey to the finished costume. The finished knitted fabric must then be professionally finished. Time, temperature and the right amount of water are decisive for success. "The process is highly skilled and requires a lot of experience.
In huge special machines, lengths of fabric about 40 metres long are washed several times and mechanically treated. This breaks up the surface structures of the individual fibres so that they can interlock with each other. It is only through this process that the rolled, voluminous woollen fabric is created. The material is then smoothed, dried and finally pressed. Back at headquarters, the fabric bales are prepared so that experts can finish them into high-quality garments. "It is a lengthy process, but it is worth it! Because woollen whale is high-quality, soft and casual at the same time."
